Heather S. Ingemar's Blog, page 42
May 28, 2011
Sickness slows you down, dangnabbit!
I hate being slowed down.
I've got all these things to DO… fencing and seeding the fields to help Hubby with, songs to record, songs to practice for my upcoming set of gigs at Dayton Wine Works, songs to write, lessons to teach, motorcycle rides to take, errands to run…
And I have bronchitis. [insert eye-roll here]
Thankfully, I caught it early and the doc put me on meds. I feel much better today — just dealing with hella sticky congestion and a wicked cough — but I'm so frustrated by my lack of energy at the moment.
Did I mention I hate being slowed down?
May 27, 2011
May 24, 2011
Coming soon… Wait For You!
Remember all my crazy-talk about putting out a CD?
Well, it's really going to happen! Really really!
But first, I'm going to be releasing my song, "Wait for You," as a single!
"Wait for You" is still in the mixing stage — I'm still working to make sure it's the best I can make it (because I'm a musical perfectionist and because I can) — but expect to see it available for purchase from BandCamp here in a few weeks. (I'll have links up accordingly.) The rest of the album is going to take hard work and time, and a fair helping of each — that's why I've decided to make "Wait for You" available early.
Hang onto yer hats, folks!
May 20, 2011
Totally ironic
So, while I've been busting my rear these last five/six years, wrestling myself into the mode of prose and subjecting myself to all the frustrations of prose's inherent structures, wouldn't it be totally ironic if songwriting has been waiting for me all along, waiting for me to get my head on straight and grab enough cojones to step out with it? Wouldn't it be completely ironic if all along, instead of pushing myself into fiction, I should have been heading back to lyric? I should have been heading home?
May 19, 2011
Memorization
It's a lot harder than I remember.
When I was still in junior high, it was not unusual for me to memorize eight or ten or twelve pages of classical music at a time. It seemed to happen without me thinking about it — I'd be playing one minute and forget to turn the page… only to continue on without missing a beat. It's a great habit to get into, because in my head, because when your notes and lyrics are memorized, when they're in your head and in your body, you are better able to interact with your audience.
These days? It seems I'm lucky if I can remember what I had for dinner… Memorization still happens, but it happens… slooowwer.
I feel like smacking my brain and telling it to get with the program…!
May 18, 2011
Review: Somebody Everybody Listens To
Somebody Everybody Listens To by Suzanne Supplee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book was a very sweet story detailing Retta Jones' journey to Nashville to pursue her country music dreams. Retta is your typical naive high school graduate, but she's got grit. When the going gets tough, she keeps on trying. And Supplee didn't hedge on the difficulties Retta faced on her own — everything from the hazards of being on your own in an unfamiliar city to the hard choices one makes when their family falls apart made Retta's journey realistically difficult.
The part I liked most about the book was that Supplee didn't end it with Retta's name up in lights and fabulous wealth and fame. Reading the book I was a little afraid of the cliche (not to say Retta didn't deserve every bit of fame she might get), but I felt it was a more powerful ending to show her getting her chance, having hope again, than to have it all handed to her outright.
"Somebody Everybody Listens To" brings up an interesting point about not only the music business, but musicians themselves and the "search for fame." I can't speak for others, but I can say that I am not searching for fame. (Might be searching for fortune, but there's reasons for that, and they're called "bills," lol. 
) I play music, I write my songs, because I like making music and because I like seeing how my music affects others. I suspect a lot of other musicians do the same, and I suspect that it's the same even for the really famous. Fame itself is extremely fleeting and tenuous at best. I think you'd have to have more behind your drive to make a career last.
What are your ideas on fame?
May 17, 2011
A show of my own
I started writing lyrics of a new song today, even though I still haven't made headway yet on the melody to "All the Hardest Things."
I have plans.
Someday, I want a show of my own. I want to be able to stand up on stage, hired to put on a concert and be able to sing all my own material, my own words and melodies. I want to be able to entertain with my own stuff, using the Trad music I know and love as filler, rather than the other way around.
It's coming. I've been throwing in a song of my own here and there in the performances I do, and so far, so good.
I just have to keep at it.
May 15, 2011
You're awesome!
To the wonderful crowd at the Laht Neppur last night, you were all AWESOME. 
I had a lot of fun playing for you guys. Thank you for coming out.
Hubs was awesome and got some nice video of my performance — I'm going to be posting that on my Facebook page (do you like me?) here in the next day or two.
In other news, Heather's Crazy Self-Produced Indie CD Project (™) is moving along. I'm working on another couple songs for it, and I'm close to having my gear assembled for the actual recording. In the meantime I've been busy researching distribution methods, and the like. (Yes, if I do this, it's going to be done whole-hog.)
Still can't believe I'm doing this. 
I feel giddy.
May 12, 2011
So Much
So much has happened this last week, I don't even know hardly where to begin…
I'm managing to keep my head above the water level. I'm moving forward on my self-produced album project, I'm playing lots of gigs, I'm mulling ideas for new songs. I'm blasting through edits on my upcoming ebooks, I'm keeping track of farm stuff, I'm trying not to sweat the details…
Now I just have to remember to breathe…
May 7, 2011
Schedule Change!
Just a quick note: there have been some changes and additions to my performance schedule for May and June!
Chronologically:
I'll be performing at the Laht Neppur on May 14th, NOT the 20th as originally planned.
I'm scheduled sometime in the afternoon for "Parade Waitsburg," a community celebration on May 21st.
I've got a school visit at Dayton Elementary School on the 6th of June.
My June Laht Neppur Ale House performance got moved from the 10th to the 25th.
My "Performances & Appearances" widget at the bottom of the page has been updated to reflect the new schedule.
Questions? Drop me a line.
