Love

I wanted to tell you all how much I really, truly appreciate you listening to my music, reading my blog and making comments.  As someone who works from home, you all are my coworkers and friends and it means so much to have your support.


So, happy, happy Valentine's Day!  I love you!

Under Construction - Week Six Song Sketch

Here's a pic that was taken from a photo shoot during that time!  I miss that necklace...

 Hard To Get - Alternate by iamemma 

I am actually 100% finished with the album!  I'm at the wait and wait point - waiting on the album to finish getting mastered, waiting on the covers to be approved for licensing, waiting on iTunes to accept my album, etc., etc.  But that's all very exciting!  

I want to thank everyone who donated money to my album fund!  I actually overmet my goal of $300!  For those who never specified, please be sure to email me with whether you want a signed print by the cover artist or an exclusive original song!


This is another of the songs I recorded with Dan Garcia (who is doing the mastering on my Love Songs and Lullabies album!); you can hear the difference right off from the one on the album!  


Hope you are all doing wonderfully!  

The Baby (album) is Almost Here!

My newest album, Love Songs and Lullabies, is coming out next month! Just in time for Mother's Day-ish! Yay! It'll be perfect for both babies and people who want to be babied (and don't we all need that sometimes?). It'll be a mix of originals and covers - a couple instrumentals, the rest vocals, and all completely soooooothing.

After polling and asking people whether to release it digital-only or both c.d. and digitally I've decided that the subject matter of the album will mean it's given a lot as a gift to new parents and such. So I'm going to release it as a physical c.d. too.

Part of the reason I've balked at the c.d. thing is also the un-eco-friendliness of the jewel cases so I'm so excited to have discovered an adorable little eco-friendly c.d. wallet duplicated by a little independent company. Hooray!

Which brings me to this:

Getting a short run of the c.d. costs about $300. Since I hadn't budgeted that into my album-creation-costs, I thought just maybe you might be willing to help a bit.

Of course, I know you have already helped me out a ton with this album - offering song suggestions, feedback, translations, pronunciation and lyric help, etc., etc. So firstly, thank you so much.

If you're willing to help out financially too and you donate any amount to my PayPal address, I'll send you a digital download card with the album on it for free once the album is released plus your choice of either a limited signed print by the artist who created my album cover (it's her picture up top!) or an original song* emailed to you.

Thank you again for all your help and feedback in the past and for all your constant support.

You are the best in the whole world.
Love,

Emma

*This song will never be available to anyone else by sale or ever released on an album.


Just wanted to thank you all! I've met and actually, overmet my goal! 

How Can I Ever Thank You?

I am a lucky girl and I have wonderful people who do favors for me, give me gifts, send thoughtful notes, etc., very often.  And I never know exactly how to truly than them for their kindnesses!  I usually first think of sending a thank you note.  But then it doesn't ever seem like it's enough!  And then, should I tuck a gift certificate inside the envelope?  If so, to where should it be (often the kind person is in another state or even country)?  Should I send an online gift card?  And how much should I send?  Etc.  Etc.  Etc.


Because of these many questions, I often end up doing nothing which is terrible since I really want them to know how much I appreciate them taking time, effort, money, or whatever it may be, to help me out!


So, dear readers, what makes you feel most appreciated?  When you do something kind for another, what would warm your heart in return?

P.S. Let me know what you think of my Monday Song Sketch!  It's the first verse of an original that'll be on my lullaby album.

Yellow Flowers Song Sketch

Photo from here

Thank you all for your kind comments on my proud mama post! It's been quite the whirlwind of weeks but I wanted to post up a song for you all. I wrote/recorded it several weeks ago and one of my listening testers (I have to get a "hooray" after I write something! So some of the night owl Twitterers volunteered to have a listen!) said it made her think of yellow flowers. What do you think?

Also, I was lucky enough to have several amazing bloggers post up entries while I was away. Please go back through and comment on a post or two - they're really quite brilliant!

If you would like a copy of this song for you, just let me know in a comment! If it's your first request, please leave your email address as well.

P.S. Feel free to follow me! I promise only ever to lead you to bright, sunny places!

P.P.S. I have a brand, new original album out! If you download it and looooove it, please write a lovely review on the site from which you purchased it!

A Small Break and a Large Thank You!

I will post up a Song Sketch next week - this week, I'm working double-time on brainstorming other ideas for working my music into a very profitable enterprise so I can stay home full-time with my new munchkin (who will be a boy, by the way!).

I have had truly marvelous suggestions from my readers and am overwhelmed by their generosity and imagination. Thank you, thank you all for your inspiring ideas.

If you haven't offered your brilliant idea of how I can:

a. Better publicize my albums and

b. Use my music otherwise to earn money

I'd truly welcome your ideas! You can see what other genius suggestions I've gotten here!

But so that you don't miss your Sunday song, I embedded a song from one of my favorites ever, Madeleine Peyroux!

Thank you all again for your help and support!

P.S. Feel free to follow me! I promise only ever to lead you to bright, sunny places!

P.P.S. I have a brand, new original album out! If youdownload it and loooooveit, please write a lovely review on the site from which you purchased it!

I'm Back! From Outer Space!

Phew! I appreciate you all waiting here, wishing and hoping for my return! My newest album is finished and I'm just getting it mastered at a mastering studio, then it's on to iTunes!

I really, truly am grateful for all the encouraging words and comments left on my post while I was gone. It meant so much while I was working until 4 a.m. to have your support!

I wanted you to see a teensy preview of some of the amazing artwork Kate Gabrielle (of Flapper doodle fame) did for my website and c.d. cover!

P.S. Feel free to follow me! I promise only ever to lead you to bright, sunny places!

The Perfect Winter Package!

I was lucky enough to win several giveaways right at the end of 2009, one of them being a selection of marvelous prints from Diana's citylight photography shop! I had long admired her work (not the least of which because it contains three things I adore: Disney, cats and books) and was so excited to win!

Her package arrived in the most charming way and personable way (which really makes a difference to me) and the contents were wonderful!

The Disney prints are magical - oddly enough, just how I remember Disney being when I was a kid, sunny, a bit hazy, and with tons of bright colors.

This photo was on a new paper Diana told me she was trying out - metallic - which accentuated the gorgeous colors on it perfectly. To me the sheen gives it a bit of an edgier, almost retro-futuristic feel.

My very favorite photos were the book ones: I just loved the colors and patterns she used and as a vintage book geek, I am so excited to have photos with such great textures and old-fashioned typefaces!

She even topped it off with the cutest postcard, which I'm planning to send to a friend languishing in the north, waiting for summer.

Thank you so much, Diana, for this treasure chest of lovely photos!

Be sure to check out Diana's blog and her shop for these and other amazing photos.

Sample of Upcoming Song!

Screenshot of a song I'm recording/mixing

Sooo, working hard on recording! I'm hoping to have the album mostly done in a couple weeksish. Really committing to a deadline as you can see. Therefore I didn't do a song sketch this week. Instead, here is a rough of an instrumental part from a song on the new album. What do you think?

Be sure to check back next Sunday for another song sketch and sometime this week for my first music information post. Music education post? Music enlightenment post? Music epiphany post? Well, whatever.

And I wanted to thank those who have generously donated to the creation of my album. I truly appreciate your support.

P.S. Feel free to follow me! I promise only ever to lead you to bright, sunny places!