I sit here this morning thinking about the same thing many people are thinking about today. Goals and dreams. The ones I had last year at this time - some which I got closer to, and some which I totally abandoned. And the ones I have for this coming year.
Most of my dreams are the exact same as last year, actually. Writing better songs, getting my songs heard by more people, getting spiritually centered, being a better partner, daughter, sister, dog-owner, etc :), giving more time and money to the causes I believe in, and uh...losing a little weight (you all relate to that one, don't you :)? Notice I said lose a "little weight". Last year, I wanted to lose a "lot of weight". That, my friends, is progress towards one of my 2010 goals: Not taking myself so seriously - "lightening up", if you will. I will never completely give up chocolate or cream cheese. Life would be so terribly empty.
I am aiming to enter 2010 a little less hard on myself, wanting to have a little more fun this year in my journey. The perfectionism I've imposed on my life has been effective, to a point - (can't hurt to TRY to have a perfect life, can it? :)) - but I'm ready now to not worry so much about what others think of me, to live by my values and have a good time, too. To spend less time people-pleasing - and more time living in my authentic skin. Hand-in-hand with this, I hope to live in a state of gratitude. When we stay grateful, good things happen more consistently....
My father forwarded this wise advice to me a few days ago. Wanted to share it with you.
HANDBOOK 2010
Health:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy.
5. Make time to pray.
6. Play more games
7. Read more books than you did in 2009 .
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile.
Personality:
11. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don't over do. Keep your limits.
14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake.
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
Society:
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything.
28. Spend time w/ people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
Life:
32. Do the right thing!
33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. GOD heals everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change..
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37. The best is yet to come.
38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.
39. Your Inner Most is always happy. So, be happy.
(Interestingly, there are "Thirty-Nine" points!).
Wishing you all the best 2010 possible :)....
December 13, 2009
Building Momentum
What an amazing trip my life has been since "Venice Beach" was announced as the theme song for "Venice: The Series".
So many of you have commented that the momentum with my music has seemed to be building and building over this last year, especially. And it's true - this has been a year of transition for sure - starting with the decision I made to stay home more and focus on writing songs, recording them, and pitching them to film/tv as well as to other major artists.
To be completely honest, touring had become tedious at the level I was at. Playing dive bars gets old quick when you are a mid-level indie artist, and if you keep doing it, yes, the crowds grow - but not to the level I want for my music. I am a big dreamer - I work really hard at every aspect of my music and my business - and I felt last year that I was selling myself short. I felt that to really take things up a notch, I needed some major exposure. Be careful what you ask for :)!!
First, there was "The Hills" placement for my song "Closer To Nowhere" this year. That was huge - the episode that my song was on was the episode where Spencer and Heidi broke up - so it was one of the most watched episodes ever. And one cool thing about "The Hills" is that the show lists the name of the artist and the song at the bottom of the screen - which drives a lot of people to Itunes or to the artist's website - so our sales were nuts every time the episode repeated.
In the meantime, really great things have been happening in Nashville. I am building some awesome relationships here. While I can't talk about some of the most exciting things in the works at this point, I will simply say that I believe that some major breakthroughs are on the horizon in terms of getting a song or two cut by a major artist. I am working hard on that - writing and co-writing songs with some of the best writers in the business, recording demos here, and pitching them.
There are so many other things I could share about this past year, but I will cut to the chase. Before "Venice", I had a large, loyal national fan base who I adore - but after "Venice", it's a whole new playing field. I have inherited thousands of passionate, loving, warm, helpful people and this is how I know the difference:
I have always been extremely communicative with my fans - I love writing everyone back (even if it takes me a while!), because I feel that without the fans, I have nothing. And last night, on Twitter, for the first time ever, I was not able to keep up with all the tweets, and today, I am not able to respond to all the emails - and I know that there is no way I can respond personally to everyone writing me and buying my music at the moment. And I KNOW - with how good this series is - and how driven Kimmy and Crystal are - that this thing is going to blow up and only get bigger. So....this is only the beginning...
And honestly? As grateful as I am, (AND I AM SO DEEPLY GRATEFUL), I found myself having a meltdown today because I don't want to let anyone down. I don't want a single person who has come to my music through "Venice" - or otherwise - to feel like I don't care. I have worked obsessively my whole career to treat people well and to do a professional job in every way.
So I just want everyone to know that I care - that I value the feedback, the tweets, the wall comments on Facebook, etc, and the sales. THANK YOU for buying the songs, for buying cds and t-shirts, and for keeping us busy around here! Christy and Leslie?? Shout-out and a huge "thanks" to you, as well, for helping me with all this madness!
THIS is how an independent artist who has been working at this her whole LIFE has finally landed one thing...one very special thing...that makes it all an "overnight success"! I spoke to Kimmy last night and thanked her for her faith and told her I am honored to be on this journey. And to the fans, I say the same. You are all so warm and have made me feel at home. I will never forget it...
June 12, 2009
Wanted to let everyone know I'm posting 2 songs tonight on Myspace that will be on my upcoming project, "Thirty-Nine". I will post a new mix of "Venice Beach" and an unreleased song called "Nobody Talks About Tuesday", which I wrote with Kathy Scott. Neither of these will be available to purchase until "Thirty-Nine" comes out. Call me a tease :).
I've been posting new music more regularly over the last few months because that's my primary focus this year - writing and recording new songs. The songs that are not on "Thirty-Nine" are available to buy exclusively on Bandbox as soon as they are posted. Create a Bandbox account in the shop at www.jenfoster.com or www.myspace.com/jenfoster.
This has been an awesome thing for me, and I would recommend it to every other artist out there. It's so exciting how I can post a song one day and the next day, that has translated into as many as 40 sales of the single. Those sales add up - and it makes me feel good that people are getting these new songs and giving such positive feedback about them. I get letters from people saying they are listening in their car, or whatever, only 1 day after I post the song. That wouldn't happen if I was waiting around on a major label to release my music.
I eventually hope to get back to touring more - but simply put, there is far greater hope of earning a good living for me as a writer than if I continue to play clubs at the independent level. One hit single with another artist could easily fund a tour for me for 2 years and potentially longer. And I have to think about that, as any person running a business does.
Just wanted to explain why I haven't been on the road as much. I do miss seeing everyone out there, and I am really looking forward to the shows that are coming up soon. St. Louis, Knoxville, Atlanta, Michigan - yeah, you know I'm talking about you :).
May 6, 2009
The Least I Can Do
I posted a new song tonight, written for Mom. Been thinking of her a lot lately, with Mother's Day coming up. I think the song speaks for itself about the love between a parent and a child - and how the "care-taker" roles shift with age - so I won't elaborate too much on that.
But another special aspect of the song is that I got to record it with Mike Reid, who wrote "I Can't Make You Love Me"...one of my all-time favorite ballads. That's Mike on piano. I played the song for him one day when we were scheduled to write, and he loved it so much that when I asked him if he knew a piano player here in town who I could hire to play on it, he said, "What about me?". Like I would turn THAT down! And he refused to take my money, though I tried to force it on him :)...what a great guy.
It meant so much to me, emotionally, to share the experience of recording this song with Mike. It was an amazing feeling that my Mom somehow made it happen, and gave me the gift of recording her song with someone I have such great admiration for. I feel like finally, after all these years, all the hard work and passion I have for what I do is paying off, and I really believe that Mom is sending a powerful energy here to help me out....
I hope you like the song. It is available to buy on Bandbox here on my MySpace page...or at www.jenfoster.com.
May 5, 2009
New Ways To Get Music To You
The times have been-a-changin' for awhile now in the music business. It amazes me, actually, how much things have changed since I first started making music. At 21 years old, I would have given my left arm for a major record deal (although I wouldn't have gotten it with a missing arm!). At that point, I was independent only because I wasn't getting any bigger offers - and I was too stubborn to quit. I just learned as I went along, making mistakes, getting out on the road, and just trying whatever I could think of to get my music heard. All I had at times was that inner voice telling me that I had a purpose in life and it was to make music. There was loads of rejection, hundreds unreturned phone calls, lots of bouts with depression and hopelessness, but I just kept getting up and doing what I had to do. Sometimes, I would consider giving up, but I saw a miserable life without music. I had to keep going.
Now, I understand that not getting that deal has worked out well for me. Sure, it was a lot more work along the way, but that work has turned out to be well-worth the reward. It made me work harder as a songwriter, dig deeper as a human being, and it forced me to learn just about every aspect of the business. I have been a booking agent, a publicist, a marketing and salesperson, a manager, a fan-club president...and I still wear all those hats from time to time. I had to make all my "connections" on my own, and as a result, I find myself surrounded by good people who I genuinely like and care about. People I call friends....these are the people I work with. It's more fun that way.
I am extremely grateful to own all of my own publishing and all of my master recordings, and have the creative control to go exactly wherever I want to go with my career. Being independent has never felt so good...and yet there are so many options and possibilities now with how to get my music out there. I am one of the most prolific writers I know. I am always writing songs - and now, I am always recording new songs as well. The standard until recently was that an artist puts out a 10-song record (give or take a few songs) every year or 2 years - and when there is a single, it's on that record. I write and record so many songs that I want people to hear - and they can be stylistically so different, that they wouldn't BELONG on one record. So I have been asking myself lately, how can I release all these songs and make them available to purchase as singles, and NOT create confusion over whether the song will be on my upcoming record?
There are so many ways to release music these days - and independent artists are coming up with creative ways all the time. I love the concept of full-length records (I still call them "records" :)) - and as most of you know, I have one coming out this summer - "Thirty-Nine". Records are an art-form that I hope never dies - yet, this is a singles-driven society we live in. And the artist must adapt. As a working songwriter, content is king. If I want to keep people interested in what I am doing - if I want to have a career - I need to be putting out new material all the time. Which means I need to put out the songs I write (at least some of them) - pretty much as soon as I write them - to increase the chances of film/tv placements, to increase the chances of getting "cuts", and also - just because I WANT to keep things fresh and interesting, for me and for you.
I wanted to let my fans know the songs that will be on "Thirty-Nine", so that it will be absolutely clear to you what you are getting when you buy that project. As for other new music, I do plan to post demos and other new recordings more regularly - and to make these "singles" available to purchase on Bandbox - at www.jenfoster.com in the "Shop" section. I encourage you to set up an account at Bandbox to make it easy to get these songs - I won't be selling them through Itunes as singles, as it would be chaotic dealing with that process on such a regular basis :). But "Thirty-Nine" will be on Itunes when it is released - and available lots of other ways, as well. Come to a show this summer and I'll sign one for you :)..
Here are the songs that will be on "Thirty-Nine"...
1. Sunday Drive
2. Everything Rewinds Me
3. A Little Help
4. Last Call
5. Red-Handed
6. Venice Beach
7. Nobody Talks About Tuesday
8. Closer To Nowhere
9. You Wreck Me
10. Poet
Bonus Track:
"Taking Bob Dylan (Revisited)"
March 17, 2009
Misfits Moving into the Mainstream
Many of you already know that I am an openly gay singer/songwriter who runs my own record label in the fairly conservative town of Nashville, Tennessee. I have always been a bit of an outsider, and yet I have always been just enough "in the mainstream" to move around comfortably in conservative circles. Well, maybe "comfortably" is exaggerating. Until 5 years ago, when I got clean and sober, vodka and/or valium always helped make things better at certain parties and social events. But that's another blog :).
The common perception of the gay community has been that we are a melting pot of misfits. The stereotypes abound: the militant dyke, the flaming fag. Whether we are waving banners in a parade, or partying in leather chaps, we have often been the source of a good laugh - or a judgmental scowl - from mainstream society.
We are, after all...well, how to say this....a colorful group! Why else would we be screaming from the rooftops..."Celebrate Diversity!" unless we WERE diverse? Knowing human nature, would we really expect people NOT to notice a man who walks down the street like Giselle walks down the runway? Knowing human nature, would we expect people to simply ignore two women making out on a park bench? (Well, certainly there is no straight guy on the planet, at least, who would ignore this!)...
Ok. But the truth is, the times-they-are-a-changing. And seriously, the world is seeing that gay people, while different in many ways, are not as different as once perceived. It seems we are moving into a new era in the gay community. The fight is far from over, but we are winning some battles now, and we are beginning to get some respect.
And I think we are in the process of reassessing our place in the world, as we gain greater acceptance. While there will always be a place for the militant dykes and the fabulous flamers (what would we do without them :)?), there is also a new light being shed on the thousands who don't set off Joe Public's "gaydar" when they walk down the street.
As a singer/songwriter, this part of our journey as a community intrigues me. I am excited about the role that music plays in this new era, because I think it is such a great vehicle to tell my story/our story.
I want to share my experiences in the most honest, compelling way I possibly can. And I believe that if I do that well, the song will speak to the human experience, and not only to my gay experience.
That doesn't mean I have to water things down. Quite the opposite. I grew up listening to artists who sung about their personal experiences but also touched on universal themes - artists like U2, Bob Dylan, Tracy Chapman, and Elton John. I think of a song like "Fast Car"- one of the first songs that really reached me in deep way. Did I come from poverty and experience exactly what the protagonist of that song experienced specifically? No, but the story was told so well that it pulled me emotionally into that character's world, and it hit me because I COULD relate to feeling like I was misunderstood and like I just wanted to run away and escape the isolation I felt.
With regard to the gay experience, society is more open now to seeing our stories as a valid part of the big picture. It's not that we are changing ourselves to fit into the mainstream - it's that the mainstream is finally beginning to validate our beautiful uniqueness. And because of this outward change, we are afforded the luxury of breathing in and reassessing our place in this world.
I believe that walls come down when other people see how we are like them, and if we focus on similarities up front, then the differences become easier to celebrate. I remember a time back in college when I shunned God because I got God confused with some of his "misguided followers" (how judgmental of me!). Anyway, I will never forget a friend of mine named Rich Simon who was a devout Christian - and he never once preached to me - he just set an example by being a really good guy who prayed for other people and lived by his Christian beliefs. He was such a good friend and always so giving to the people around him. Never said a bad word about anyone. Rich's way fascinated me, intrigued me, and made me curious about God again. Meanwhile, there were other Christians on campus who tried to preach to me - and push God on me - and tell me I was living in sin - and the bottom line is that this approach was just not effective.
Similarly, I feel like the anger and harshness we sometimes see in the gay community is just not effective when it comes to getting our point across. In the new era, I think gentleness and kindness is an easier path to progress. This path was MADE easier by so many of the pioneers in the gay cause - don't get me wrong. We have had to defend ourselves against an oppressive society for most of our journey - and defensiveness and anger is a necessary part of survival in such cases.
But fast-forward to today. Ellen DeGeneres comes to mind. She is not a gay activist in the typical sense of the word, but through her likable charm and her openness about who she is, she has won the hearts of millions. She has found a way to be herself and to speak to the masses. She doesn't offend or upset people - she just makes them laugh, she just does her thing, and in the larger scheme of things, she represents gay people in a positive light and thereby sends us towards the path to progress. Some might say that without the militant activists of our past and present, she would not have this luxury. I am not going to argue with that.
I'm just saying that I think it's time to embrace the acceptance we are getting and to allow this new confidence to shine from the inside out. To be proud of who we are and to encourage others to be who they are, and to let gratitude and humility radiate from us. To build our sense of community through lifting each other up and through reaching out to the world at large. Only then, I believe, will we see the changes we seem to so desperately desire.
