'With You' CD now available!

I hope you're having a terrific summer so far!!

I just wanted to take a quick minute to tell you about a brand new CD that I am completely honored to have been a part of. My dear friend and fellow songwriter, Barbara McInnis Vu has truly outdone herself. She wrote an entire CD of some of the most healing music I have ever heard.
Several months ago, Barbara contacted me and asked if I would consider singing some of the songs she had in mind for this project. I told her I'd be happy to take a listen to them all to see which ones I 'resonated' with and, lo and behold, I feel in love with every single one of them!

Barbara is an incredible songwriter with an amazing gift for writing songs that truly move people. As a musician, she's an incredible pianist with a unique ability for writing some of the most interesting and complex chord changes imagineable. All of this adds up to music that moves and inspires me.
I 'get' Barbara. I understand her and the message she is trying to convey through her music. I am truly honored to be a part of her latest CD, 'With You.' I sang all but two of the songs on this CD (the other two were sung by the outstanding, Jennifer Baselice) and I am so proud of how it turned out.
I hope you'll take a minute and go Barbara's website and check out the new CD:
  
http://inheritingthekingdomministries.com 

As always, I can't thank you enough for all your love and support! I hope you enjoy Barbara's beautiful songs!


Love always,
~Jen

She Sits

Here's one of my favorite songs from my 2007 album, 'Leap of Faith.' It's a song called 'She Sits' and it is my dedication to all people everywhere who know they were born to live 'bigger' lives than the ones they've been living. It's never to late to make a different choice, a more rewarding choice, a bigger choice than the one you've been making. Just close your eyes, take a deep breath, take that 'Leap of Faith' and just trust that everything will work out just fine - because it always will - ALWAYS. I hope you enjoy the song! Thanks for listening!

Love,
~Jen

 She Sits

Every song tells a story

So, here I am, up late once again. :-) Tonight, I'm watching VH1 Storytellers with Jason Mraz. Yum, yum and more yum. His music is delicious and his songs move me. His level of honesty inspires me to keep on digging. I know there are levels of love and spirit and fear and wonder and simple human-ness that I have yet to tap into - in both my life and my music. I've recently started writing again. No new songs have come - yet - but I know they're in there....just waiting for the right time and space to bubble up to the surface. 

I was on the phone with a dear friend of mine (who also happens to be a terrific musician/singer/songwriter) last night and we were talking about the idea of writer's 'block.' He asked me what I thought about it - whether or not I believe in it. I stopped and took a deep breath before I gently answered, 'No.' I believe that songs and music and creativity in general are ever flowing. God (which is most definitely the Source of my creativity, my music, and anything else that truly matters in my life) doesn't just stop giving me songs. The Universe doesn't support me in my creative endeavors for a brief time (or even a long time) and then all of a sudden stop. If songs aren't coming to me, it's because of one of two reasons: 1) I'm not ready for them yet or 2) I'm blocking them because I'm afraid of something.

One thing that I've learned about music is that it's not the notes or chords that make the song - it's the silence in between the notes/chords that gives the song life. The same goes for me with songwriting. It's wonderful when I am blessed enough to receive a new song. I get excited - like a little kid at Christmas - and I want to spend all my time working on it, playing with it, seeing what it wants to be. But, equally beautiful, is that time in between songs. The time where I'm not writing because I'm too busy living life and having incredible experiences to even think about writing them down.

The time to write will come and I'll recognize it the moment it arrives. I will feel that inner pull, that 'calling.' I'll pick up the pen and start writing again. Every song will tell a story. Every song tells my story - and, God willing - every song will tell your story, too. I'm truly blessed to be given so many opportunities to connect to a larger Source and hear what it has to say. I do my best to relay those 'messages' in my songs.  I hope that, whatever that Source has to say, it ends up moving you as much as it does me...

Dear Shane

Dear Shane

Here's an oldie, but a goodie from my first album, Let the Girl Sing (released in 2006). I hope you enjoy it! :-) 

Jeff, Who Lives at Home

Just got home from a short, 3 day cruise to the Bahamas with my honey. We had an amazing time and it was a MUCH needed getaway. We drove down to Miami on Thursday and sailed out of the Port of Miami this past Friday. The whole experience was amazing and I'm so grateful that we were able to get 'away from it all' for a few days.

One of the best parts of the entire weekend was when we watched the movie 'Jeff, Who Lives at Home' in our hotel room Thursday night. The movie stars Jason Segel (from 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall') and Ed Helms (from 'the Hangover') and I can honestly say this is one of the best movies I've seen in ages! I loved every single minute of it. The acting is top notch as is the story, the writing, etc, etc. I don't want to say too much about the film - you just have to watch it for yourself. It's AMAZING! :-)

love, Love, LOVE it!! - http://www.JeffWhoLivesAtHome.com/

Please check it out when you have a chance!!

Love always,
~Jen

More Mraz

Right now, I'm up a little late, watching an incredible video of Jason Mraz performing with the outstanding Mona Tavakoli (from Raining Jane). This video is just a small part of a live performance they recorded in London not long ago. I am, in a word, completely and utterly, mesmerized. I'm loving EVERY minute of it!!

I'm a studio girl. :-) Meaning, musically speaking, my favorite place to be in this world is in the recording studio (specifically with Frank Starchak as my producer).  I love to write. I love to create. And, more than anything, I love to bring in the 'bare bones' of a song and I love to let that song tell me everything that it wants to be.

I used to perform in front of live audiences - A LOT - and I still love doing that from time to time. But where I truly 'shine' is in the studio. It makes my heart sing to breathe a little bit of life into a brand new song. I love the feeling of not quite knowing where the song wants to go. I love stepping back and just letting it be whatever it wants to be whenever it 'grows up' - if it even chooses to grow up at all. Some songs just want to be left alone - maybe just a little guitar and vocal. And that's okay too. Not every song needs to be some fully produced 'masterpiece.' Sometimes the masterpiece is in just allowing something that wants to be heard - to be heard. I love writing about things that people are afraid to talk about. Things that sometimes make people feel uncomfortable.  I love being completely vulnerable with my music. I love taking an idea and then running with it, hanging on until its completion, then completely letting go.

And now, in both my life outside the studio and in my music, I'm learning to let go even more. I'm grateful for the learning and for all the blessings in my life. And the music - I'm so grateful for all the music in my life.

Thanks for listening. And thanks for helping me find - myself.

And thank you Jason and Mona - for Everything... 

Much much love always,
~Jen

Another day, another dream

Sitting at home after a lovely day spent at Deltona Records. Today's session was with Adrian Tristan Sutton and, of course, the incredible Frank Starchak. Adrian and I sang another beautiful song together for Steve Lawson. Steve's songs are both inspirational and uplifting. Today I left the studio feeling completely transformed. I love working with Frank, Steve and Adrian. The chemistry we all have together is exciting - and, as always, I am completely 'at home' in the studio.

The session today was another huge success and I'm so grateful to have the honor of working with such talented, giving and loving people. Singing is my 'job' although it certainly never feels like work, especially on days like today! :-)

So, tonight I'll go to bed filled with all the many things I am most grateful for in this world - and at the top of my list this evening is the gift of being able to do what I love (singing and recording) and being able to share it with such incredible people. I truly am blessed...I hope this blog finds you feeling just as blessed in your corner of the world.

With love always,
~Jen