How Do You Do it?!
Tamara Wellons
Authentic and Lovingly Open
Archive for the ‘Music’ Category
Instant Gratification
You want instant gratification? Boil some water and pour in a cup of oatmeal. Better yet, peel a banana and enjoy eating it. Don’t be a songwriter or musician. You will experience overtime with no pay. You will get the satisfaction of listening to a complete work over and over again in your own player or force people who hop a ride with you to “listen to this.” No one else may ever hear it or get it. And somehow it will become your lifeline. You will not want to do anything else but work on a song or collaborate with a musician or create a new project for your life’s purpose. Put on the slow cooker.
February 13 Logging…
Last Thursday was the second of my six week series at Bistro Bistro in Washington, DC. Thanks to the LSP crew last Thursday, Jim, Danielle and other family who came out to hear us last week. With Nathan Jolley on drums, Noble Jolley on keys, and Tyler Sherman on bass, we had a good time and will keep this up for a few more weeks.
I have been in so much of an introspective and songwriting mode that finding the inner space to perform becomes a challenge, especially not being the type to jump around and do backflips on stage. As an artist, I think there are seasons for all creative forces but sometimes the practices have to operate simultaneously. The new habits I am creating are helping me achieve this goal thankfully. I have honestly been avidly writing, researching, reading, developing myself for the last eight months. Between living out dreams, waking up from dreams, and making more, I have been living an adventure! I am so thankful that there is a part of every day that feels like a new beginning. Always fresh…like new breath.
What else am I up to? I am working on my new music project, partnering with amazing musicians to write music, learning new instruments and production, and digging into my backyard to really grow a garden this year. I have officially started operating Kollibri Music, my music company which was created last summer. Kollibri, which translates to hummingbird, came about after several occurrences I’ve had with hummingbirds while musing outside for the past two summers. (That’s another blog story.)
The company will present many exciting projects this year including musical releases, camps, workshops, and special projects. This spring, I will be bringing Bare Voices back for singers who want a spiritual and supportive place to hone their singing skills. Also, I am directing a first of its kind (that I know of) Soul Music Camp at Joes Movement Emporium in Mt. Rainier Maryland. The camp will teach children the history of soul music roots tying in the blues origins to the modern day soul music and give them experiences in creating music emphasizing individuality in the process. How great is that!? I am truly excited about this.
Blog readers, glad you came to check it out. Please feel free to forward or leave comments. Let me know what’s on your mind.
Peace and love,
Tamara
I have been writing everyday for eigth months. It did not start out as something intentional. Life happened and it forced me to write.
Some of the blogs are from my stream of conscience thought that presents itself as art. I don’t intend to publicize my blog unless I feel compelled to. But I will invite you to take a small journey into my world by reading. Take what you can for yourself, for your own good.
Join me in going all out.
“The Dream is the Truth”
My moma says I was five years old when I sleepwalked to my Aunt Corrine and Uncle Teachey’s house next door. I have flashes of that dream walk, like when I knocked on the door and she put me to bed. My mom added deadbolt locks to our door because of it. I now specialize in changing the locks. 
Ten years later, Aunt Corrine started walking over to our house sometimes 10 times a day! She called her sister’s name- my Grandma Ellen and other times she’d be wearing her slip outside her dress. She had Alzheimer’s, but could still teach me to play a little piano melody.
In her backyard was a pear tree, apple tree and peach tree. One day she was just standing around the peach tree humming a song, “The Tennessee Waltz” and then started prancing around to show me how it was danced. I said to myself, “Now how could she remember all that but didn’t know who I was?!”
Music. It’s the very thing that’s embedded in our memories sometimes forever, when one can’t even remember their own name. How powerful is that. Aunt Corrine could sing church hymns back and forth and play them on her organ when she could barely remember if she had eaten that day.
Music. It is taken for granted at times. Sometimes we don’t even realize how much it gets us over.
Music. I am committed to creating music that will impact people in a powerful way for the good of everything.
Be a part of this with me.
“The dream is the truth.”- Zora Neale Hurston
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/93703986/recording-songs-for-janie
Walking on Sunshine
Have you ever been so full of joy when things around you seem to have fallen?
Today I am walking on sunshine. I am writing this for you and for me too. I really could be in another place today with all that life can throw. Instead I am feeling the weight of peace and happiness on me.
I don’t have any amazing news to share, nor do I have a sob story to tell. I just have the wondrousness of God around me and I guess that’s all I have to say.
I love you and stay tuned for music from me and my musical soul mate.
