It's ALL worth it.

When you first record a song in a recording studio, you think it's going to be simple stuff, right? Walk in, hit the record button, sing your song, walk out and have said song in a day. Boom. I can tell you this - the word "Boom" is not an appropriate word for this process. More like... "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnddddddddddddd....................................................................iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt'ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss............................ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssstttttttttttttttttttttiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll...........nnnnnnnnnnnooooooooooottttttttttttttt...........ddddddooooooonnnnneeeeee.................." Ok, you get the idea. I walked into my first recording studio experience with my wallet, my iPod and my piano. Yes, my PIANO. I'm not talkin' one of those little 44 key casio keyboards . No, no. I'm talking my....::::looking on ask.com for how much an upright weighs::::....roughly 400 lb piano. Yup! I thought "I have to record my song on the piano I use for writing so it sounds good, right?" Oh, Lana...(cuz that's what my peeps call me...you can call me that too. No you can't)...you stupid, stupid girl. A recording studio HAS a piano...several, in fact. And ridiculous software. And experienced engineers that make stuff sound sick - in a good way. Not only that but I wasn't leaving the studio in a few hours with my finished song. Try a few months...and then a few more. In other words, there's a lot more to recording a song than sitting at your own piano belting it out in your living room on a cassette player -- excuse me, iPhone app Voice Memo. That being said... after all of these months... meeting and working with crazy-talented people along the way... singing my ASS off...guess what!?!?

IT'S DONE. 

MY NEW SONG "100" IS COMPLETE.

That's right, everyone. You read correctly. My first song with producer Steve Catizone, many other great musicians and me - we did it! So, here's what you'll need to prepare for what's coming to you in the next few days:

1. Excitement

2. $0.99 to purchase "100" from iTunes (or Amazon, Rhapsody or Nokia)

3. Excitement

4. A kick-ass sound system (or mp3 player w/ earbuds) turned up SUPER DUPER loud

5. Excitement

6. A room with some space to jam 

7. Some more excitement

8. Friends and Family that you will share it with (and that, hopefully, also have $0.99. If they don't, be a pal...lend!)

9. Oh...um...Excitement

10. And FINALLY...Your ear. Not just to hear my song (obvi) but because you'll need it to hear me shout this from my rooftop:

                                !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So remember - just ONE WEEK from today. ONE WEEK. You will be singing along to my new song "100." As one of the musicians on this song said to me in a very late recording session one night (technically, the wee hours of the morning): "Here's what I picture when I hear this song: Driving down the highway, windows open, song cranking out of my speakers. It's just that kinda jam." And that, my friends, is what makes this process ALL worth it. :)

dreamBIG,
Arlanna

A Whole New World...and then some...

It's crazy how time gets away from me. For the last year and a half, unbeknownst to me, moments that just seemed like life passing by were slowly building the melodies that woke me from sleep and fell from my finger tips onto my piano. I must admit, the songs that have been bursting out of me at what seems like the speed of light have given me experiences like none I've ever known before. Not only do I feel that these songs are some of the best I've ever written, but I've been working with people whose talent has made them shine and sparkle, the way I knew that they could. Problem is - none of YOU have heard them yet. That is all about to change in just a few weeks. Think of my songs as an ice cream sundae - we have poured on the hot fudge. What's left is a spiral of whipped cream, your favorite topping and a cherry. It hasn't been an easy year, that is an understatement. However, rather than suffer, my songwriting has dug to newer and deeper depths; depths I never even knew existed.

Along with personal experiences that have beaten me up emotionally and put me back together again, there have also been many changes, one in particular that towers high above the others. This change is where my new chapter began. About seven months ago I found a new 'home' for my music. My new home is a place where my trust hasn't been flung against the wall a few hundred times, hung out to dry and left for dead on the side of the road. This new home is called Sanctum Sound / Serenity East Recording Studios in Boston, MA (sister studio Serenity West in LA, CA). After months of research, talking with studio manager after studio manager, making and breaking studio tour appointments, I finally kept one. The studio manager informed me that, by happen-chance, I would be able to meet the owner/producer, Steve Catizone, the day I was set to go for a tour. He lived in LA but was coming through Boston for a few days (as I was later informed he tries to do on a monthly basis). I took this as a good sign, along with the fact that Steve had already emailed me with answers to every question I had, answers I had been looking high and low for. Off I went to this little hidden jewel under the streets of Boston's Leather District. When I opened the door I was greeted by a place that I am pretty sure I had dreamed of before. Tiny lit candles lined the walls and floor, buddha statues, bright blue stones, deep red carpets and smoky-colored walls surrounded me. The smell of incense, the phone ringing from one of the many rooms off in the distance and, what stuck out for me that I had been missing before - music. OTHER rooms with OTHER musicians recording THEIR music. This was a working studio, a thriving business filled with people who actually gave (and still give) a shit. I remember looking up to see framed records of some of Serenity's recording artists past and present - records I actually own and listen to. I had a great feeling until I noticed that Steve wasn't there. I didn't have a lot of faith in people for many reasons and, for just a moment, I faltered. Maybe this wasn't my home after all. Just when I was ready to throw in my towel and call it a day, the door flew open and my "studio tour" turned into a one-on-one meeting and listening party with the person who would soon take on the role as my producer.

Since that day in early February, my little babies have grown into the songs that they were meant to be - full of a rich, driving energy, soaring to places they had only hoped to touch in the past. If not for the hard work, confidence, talent, encouragement and patience of my producer, my songs would still be resting quietly on my laptop in a four year old version of Garage Band, for my ears only. 

Seven months have passed and I'm absolutely dying for all of you to hear what's been going on in my life.  My songs of old (of which I am still very proud of) were let out of their bags prematurely; unfinished and severely lacking. This time around I am promising myself to borrow some of my producer's patience and hold off until things are 100% ready. Until then, whether you love it or hate it, my music and I have found a place where we belong. Stay tuned and thanks for reading! ;)

dreamBIG,
Arlanna

Open to NEW possibilities...I am!

Feature in the paper...two completed tracks...50+ songs...Facebook Music page...those are the new things that have happened since the last time I wrote. Now for the old...stage fright, long distances, selfishness and unrequited love. Wait, what does long distance, selfishness and unrequited love have to do with my music? You'd be surprised at just how much they factor into songwriting, especially mine. Think about someone who writes in a journal - they could go on and on for pages and pages about those simple things. For me, they come out in 4-minute music compositions. So, thank you to all those who have contributed!

But seriously, my stage fright has entered a new "stage." This new stage of stage fright has made the possibility of performing more realistic to me. Yes, I said it. Performing. Live. For all of you...who want to see what happens when a musician chokes. Jokes! I can tell you how I know things have changed - the idea of taking the stage always made me shiver. The shivering I am experiencing now is less with fright and more with excitement. So I guess we can safely say I may have switched over from Stage Fright to Stage Excitement. Of course, I say that now - who knows what will happen when I actually get up there. But I am starting to become more and more comfortable sharing my music with the world and have even begun to look around at where I'd like to perform first - what type of setting, crowd, etc. My producer, Derek, and I have been talking about it and he has given me some advice. He has also told me that he will be behind me 100% on that stage - literally. As I've mentioned before, Derek likes to "push my buttons" and has made me stand outside of my comfort zone on more than one occasion. However, more importantly, he steadies me and that is the best part of working with him. It gives me the confidence I (sometimes) lack when it comes to playing my music for others. So as soon as things are cemented and I am ready to take the stage, you will be the first to know. Well, as long as you're following me. Thanks to Facebook, Myspace, Twitter - this isn't such a complicated thing these days. So stay tuned.

To back up a little bit, I have completed two songs in the studio (this will make eight completed tracks). In my opinion these two songs may be my favorite - lyrically and melodically. They are completely different from each other. "Hear Me Out" tells of my faltering faith coupled with a light, fun, rocking feel to it. I like the contradiction of it all - it made recording the song that much more fun. Most recently completed, "Untold Story" brings forward the darkest message of all of my songs so far. So dark that my sanity may actually need to be questioned. More importantly, though, these two songs show that there is much more going on underneath the surface of Arlanna Snow than meets the eye. Wink, wink. ;) It was a blast making them and I experienced different ways of recording vocals and sound effects, to name a few. It also gave me the opportunity to, once again, work with BJ Knights. Phenomenal, as always.

So - to wrap up - I just want you all to know that I continue to work hard at making music and, if possible, I have more love and passion for it than I did when I started. We belong together, music and me. Corny but true. Thanks to all of you for being a part of it - I will forever welcome your thoughts and criticisms. Okay, rock on ;)

dreamBIG,
Arlanna

One Year, One Song...Can't we all get along?

Hey everyone, its been a year and, to help you better understand the title of this blog, only A song has been completed. Yes, that is correct. "A" song. Not "A bunch of"...just "A." So to say that I have accomplished much musically in the last year is really, reeeeeeeeeeaaallllllllly stretching it. Actually, I had a minor blip in the last year concerning my recording studio, producer, etc... First of all, though, let me just say that an artist and a producer will definitely butt heads throughout the recording process. It's great when you find a producer and a studio that you can feel comfortable at, that you can be yourself and form friendships within. But you always need to remember one thing - YOU are the artist. YOU are in charge of YOU and YOUR creations, your time and your hard-earned savings. If you feel like things aren't going your way, speak up immediately or else you may end up feeling that you are being taken advantage of and you will, I promise you, be wasting a LOT of time and money. I, unfortunately, let myself get too comfortable. This, in turn, made those around me get too comfortable and that just spells c-a-t-a-s-t-r-o-p-h-e. It took about one full year to complete a song that we both (my producer and I) sort of lost the energy for and made us grumpy, unfocused people when, normally, we are very happy-go-lucky! There were arguments, cold shoulders and hurt feelings. I began looking elsewhere to finish my album. But, in the end, my heart and my mind knew that the best place for me was right back where I started. My studio felt the same way and we worked through it. Apologies and understandings (both personal and business) were made and there is absolutely no awkwardness. That's when you know that you've found somewhere you belong.

Now that a year has passed and a song, although my least favorite - mostly vocally - is complete, we are on to something new - a recently written song with recently felt feelings. Producer likes, I like and we are on the road to what I know will be one of the highlights of my album. The last song, "Awake" (which can be heard on http://www.myspace.com/arlannasnow) has music that is amazing, thanks to a very talented guitarist - BJ Knights - who knows his stuff and can take my original and pump it up about ten times over. It has a latin flair that was made to sound so authentic (Thank you, BJ) that my voice no longer had a place in it. This isn't a bad thing, it just showed me that this is a song that I wrote for someone else to record and that is just fine by me. Someone who could make it what it should be.

If I may quote myself from the beginning of this post: "So to say that I have accomplished much musically in the last year is really, reeeeeeeeeeaaallllllllly stretching it." This is partially false. It should read that I haven't accomplished much as a recording artist in the last year - but as a songwriter, I have accomplished MUCH. A little TOO much. I have written, if I may say so myself, some of my best songs in the last year. Experiences - both good and bad - have given me an entirely new volume of songs. All in good time, though. All in good time.

And finally, a bit of something cool - you can hear my first recorded track "All These Years" on the radio! Tuft University's radio station, 91.5 WMFO is spinning it. So for all of you old-school radio listeners out there who care - please, please, PLEASE (desperation should be felt here) - request it. 617-627-3800. Pretty cool, especially since hearing any of my songs on the radio means I have reached a personal goal. I'll say it again - pretty cool.

dreamBIG,
Arlanna

Being both poor & rich at the same time...

How is it possible, one might wonder, to be both poor AND rich at the same time? Well, it's not all about the monetariness (this word is underlined in red, meaning it's not a real word. I don't give a shit) of your life. Let me explain, if you care to listen. Please listen...

So let's start out simple. I'm poor in cash terms. If one were to look at my bank account, they would see that it is not spilling over the sides by any means. Yes, I do work in the financial world (unfortunately, and this is in no offense to those that do, good for you dull brainiacs) but this is not replenishing my account as fast as I am using it. The amount I am spending is much, much more than the amount I am making.

Now, what I am rich in is creativity. Creatively Rich? If you're still with me, let me explain...I know this isn't the most riveting blog you've ever laid eyes on. I apologize for that. I have a plentitude of songs, which I consider to be pretty catchy, heart-felt, melodic little ditties. (Why is plentitude underlined in red? I could have sworn that it was a real word! If it's not, it should be. Feel free to use it anytime.) I have lyrics and melodies coming out of every pore of my body. So fast I sometimes lose them to the land of the lost. If I could just figure out a mode of transportation to that land, life would be even richer. So, due to the extent of my creativity, I am producing these endless catalogs of four minute long wonders. Therefore, I am rich.

So there you go, rich AND poor at the same time. The thing I have to consider now, is, does one outweigh the other? And if so, which one wins? This might be worth my time to decide. Maybe I won't be happy with the result, but I can't let it get too late. Ok, here goes...

In one year, I have only been able to complete 4.75 songs in the recording studio. This, to me, is a bit ridiculous. In my opinion, a year's worth of studio time (and of course that is not every single day, it is a weekend here and a weekend there, four hours here and five hours there) should produce a heck of a lot more goods than what I have to show. Not only because of the time spent, but because of the money I have spent. I have practically cleaned myself out when I could have considered myself monetarily content in my thirty years. Instead, I decided to use the tools at my exposure that would take my songs and give them more life than I could have ever dreamed of. When expressing my concern to my producer/engineer, he consoles me by telling me we are not just laying down a track but that we are doing a LOT of production. Production that you get when your song is actually ready for the radio. We aren't spending our time making a demo. We are spending our time recording my first album. Sometimes he has me convinced that he is absolutely correct. Hey, he is the professional, after all. But then there are days like today where I would give anything to be at the studio but am not, thus forcing me to consider these things, flipping them over in my mind until they become like overdone pancakes all shriveled up in a frying pan. These next two weeks void of recording loom over me like a dark and angry cloud, bursting with these analyzing thoughts of "what the F is going on here? where is my money going? what age will I be when I finish this album?" raining down over my head.

But then I think back over the last recording session (last Sunday). It was a good one, I have to say. The fifth track is a ballad that I wrote at a pretty sad time in my life, when I watched someone slowly fading away from me and from themselves. It's pretty heavy in that way. But it's also just a really sweet melody. The music alone has desperation in it. That's really hard to create, but thanks to the studio and the professionals, it worked. And after adding my vocals and having one of my very best friends sing a pretty important backup element to the song, I can't help but be thankful. Because, see, this is when I realize that my money will get me there, I will make sure of it. I just thank my lucky stars every single day that I have what I have inside of me. Because I really do believe that it is going to change the world someday, somehow. Maybe not for everyone in it, but for those who really need it.

And that, my friends, is why my RICHness will always win.

dreamBIG,
Arlanna

Track #4 - Need To Shine

So the fourth track is officially complete, fresh and ripe from the studio. Just the way we like 'em! Its filled with guitar tracks a la BJ Knights and drum fills a la Matt Spitz from the Van Buren Boys band. Lets not forget Derek's "No Doubt-ish" bass line. All together, with my piano as the bottom line, the song came together (with many detours along the way) just fine.

Need To Shine was the first song I ever REALLY wrote. I played the pre-chorus melody that I woke up with in my head on my trusty piano and built the rest of the song around it. I was dreaming about someone who was going through a pretty rough time with a very scary, stubborn disease of the mind. The frustration of trying to help this person and constantly failing came out in melodic ways for me. It was a haunting feeling but with the hope of conclusion around the corner. One day I was playing it again for the millionth time...I started humming words to it...and Need To Shine was born. First, I recorded the music alone, very slow. Then I decided to play around with it on a keyboard, adding some percussion and kind of re-creating the song. Once I wrote the lyrics, I recorded the song with just vocals, piano, generic drum track and string effects. That version remains to be a family favorite, while the new version from the studio is the sound I dreamt about. My producer tells me it's a song that could be the theme for Rent Two, if ever there were a Rent Twp. Personally, I am not a fan of most of Rent's music. Then again, maybe if my song was in it, I would be a fan. Ha.

So now that you know a little background into the song, you will be ready to apply it to the first listen when it goes up on iTunes someday soon. Need To Shine is really my baby that I've probably spent the most time on. I hope someday it's the song that really puts me on the map. But then again, that is up to all of you. 

So onto the next song...track five and its been almost a year since I've been working at this record in the studio. Track five, I can promise you, will be a ballad through and through. Something, I'm told, that would come at the end of the CD. Not sure if I agree with where the track will go in terms of order, but for now it will be Track five. The title is still being decided on. Once I get closer to the final version of it, I will give that info away!

But until then - happy listening, everyone! Thanks for being my fans :)

dreamBIG,
Arlanna

Crawling along...

Whats up Blogsters/Twit-meisters/Face-munchers? Umm... ok.

So I haven't written in awhile and there is just no excuse for that. NO excuse. But I am here now, so that has to count for something, right? Hopefully all will be forgiven when you realize what I've been doing - nothing. Ha! Kidding.

Seriously, the third track has been complete for a couple of months now. You know the one I'm talking about - "Sometimes." I have to say it's a lot different than the other two songs I've completed. It doesnt have that upbeat feel but rather it's a bit dark with a bit of a hook. A dark hook. That would be a very cool documentary title, wouldnt it? Hmmm... 

So the third track has a little "Chris Isaac" and a little "David Bowie" hidden in there. Now don't get too excited, they didn't actually play on the track (a girl can dream!) but the sounds we created make me think of their material. The song is basically a ditty written at a time when I was feeling like the world was against me. And, let's face it, we all have those days. The difference is, I chose to write about it. I consider this challenging moment in my life as a good thing because when the song was finished, I felt a hell of a lot better. Thats the great part about songwriting - it relieves you.

So now for the bad news...the song is not going to be released on iTunes or anywhere else on the web - YET. Now that I'm writing this, I'm thinking I may have already broken this news to you. Senior moment at 29? Ugh. But I'm now working on the fourth track and I have to admit that so far, this year has not spared me much time to work as much as I'd like in the studio. However, I am starting to have withdrawals so it's time to head back, especially because, and I'm going to seriously toot my own horn here, I think the fourth track (spoiler alert: the first song I have ever written) is going to be the bomb-diggity. Do people say bomb-diggity anymore? I'm not becoming one of those women that still say "cool" to their kids' friends in my forties, right? Wait - I'm only 29. And I dont have kids. Ok, I think I'm safe.

Well, thank you for reading my weird blog today. I will return when I'm not so weird. Oh! One more thing before I go - check me out on www.whohub.com. I did a cool interview and it's...the bomb-diggity.  

dreamBIG,
Arlanna