Tag: behind the song

Stop Yourself

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I wrote March’s song around the love story in Victoria Dahl‘s Bad Boys Do.  

How can he make her name sound like a kiss?

Olivia Bishop is an “older woman” at age 35.  (Yikes, if she’s old, what does that make me?)  Recently divorced, she was dumped by her ex because she just wasn’t fun.  Ouch!  But when she begins hanging out with Jamie Donovan, a younger man (at 29), she starts to realize just how much fun she really is.  (Just in case you’re interested, here’s my review on Goodreads.)

Stop Yourself (my song), plays with these characters and their roles in a very upbeat, playful way.  I especially love the lines:

“He did the taking, the cheating, the lying.
She did the making-believing and trying.
He took her fun, left her questioning why-ing.
It’s over, it’s done, don’t try to stop yourself.”

I hope you enjoy the lyrics.  I’m looking forward to debuting this one with the others on May 4th at my SOhO gig.

Falling Even Deeper

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Josh Holloway "Sawyer"
“Sawyer,” aka Kyle, aka Josh Holloway

I know I’m a little late to the party in delivering my February song.  But hey, it’s my party, so I guess I can be a little behind schedule.

Really, I did finish the song in February, and in fact, have even written my March tune and am working on April’s.  It’s just that I geek out so much on the music writing that I run out of time for the writing writing.

So, better late than never, I give you the lyrics to Falling Even Deeper, inspired by Rylann and Kyle in Julie James‘ About That Night, which I l-o-v-e-d.  In fact, here’s my review on Goodreads.

It’s a rocker!  You can hear it live on stage at my next show…Sat., May 4th (2013) at SOhO in Santa Barbara.  6:00-7:30pm.  Go ahead, get all romantic and make it a date night.

 

 

 

 

 

Hook, Line and Sinker

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I’ve embarked on my song-a-month journey and am pleased to share my first installation from the month of January.  Hook, Line and Sinker was a fun write, but admittedly challenging for me with regards to some of the fingering on the guitar.  I chose an alternate tuning, which is always a cool way to explore different sounds.  For some reason, though it seemed to take me longer than it should have to cement the musical progression down in my head and hands.

It was almost like there was a disconnect between the two.  I think I might just be so used to playing older songs without even thinking that I actually had to exercise a part of my brain that had temporarily dimmed the lights.  Ha! I guess that’s part of the point of this project – to turn the lights back on, in full, active force.

I love the song, and the challenge it posed just might make me appreciate it even more.   It’s inspired by the romance between Mitch and Paige in Shannon Stacey’s All He Ever Needed.  She’s one of my favorite go-to contemporary romance writers.  I enjoy her down-to-earth characters, and have to admit, these two are my favorites up to this point.

I’ll be recording Hook, Line and Sinker in the future, but for now, the lyrics will have to tell the story…or you can come take a listen at my next live show…

 

Writing and New Year’s Resolutions

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Happy New YearAh yes, New Year’s Resolutions.  I don’t always make them mostly due to the fact that I don’t think about it until Dec. 31st, if I’m lucky, as early as Dec. 30th.  With so little thought behind it, I’m hardly committed to following through…

…Although, there was that record year where I vowed to pull a quote from my all-time favorite movie, When Harry Met Sally on a daily basis.  I actually stuck with it for at least a good month, ok, maybe a fanatical two months.  Just ask my team at work.  Some of them have never seen the movie in fact, and claim that thanks to me, they don’t feel the need to.  I’m still not sure if that’s a compliment or a cut.  Hmmmm??

In any case, the fact that I stuck with it as long as I did is a tribute to the amazing writing of the late Nora Ephron.  There are just so many moments in the movie that stand out and stand alone.  They proved to be so real, so strangely applicable to every day life as my colleagues who were privy to my resolution came to realize.  To be that kind of writer – EPIC!

So, while we’re on the topic of writing and NY Resolutions, I thought I’d share mine (yes, I actually made one) for 2013:  I am taking on the challenge of writing a new song each month.

I know, you’re saying, “BIG WHOOP.  You’re a songwriter, aren’t you?  Isn’t that just like breathing?”

Why, yes, I am, and in a way, it is.  But you know how it is—working mom and wife, trying to keep up with Kindergarten homework, regular meals, and the occasional Jazzercise class.  Just never seems to be enough time.  Sometimes you forget to do something so basic and essential as breathing.  Same for songwriting these days.

But I’m good with a goal, and even better when I have a purpose.  This resolution is pretty exciting to me, and I’m all for making it happen.  And just to go all out crazy, I’m tying it into another more-than-just-a-hobby-would-be-career-choice.  I’m inviting my inspiration for these songs to come from the books I read, which are most definitely romance novels.  Hey, I’m in love with love.  Besides, I’ve written enough bitter, jealous, “you broke my heart and stole my Bible” songs to last me a lifetime.

Stay tuned!  More to come…

So, what’s your New Year’s Resolution?  Think, think, think.

The Guide to Good Music

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Recently I shared a free download of my song I’d Be a Fool with friends in a drive to sign you up on my email list.  It’s funny to me that so many of you have expressed your surprise over my style, or the sound of my voice.

I get it…after so many years of hearing me claim “I’m a singer, yadda, yadda” you had probably prepared for the worst.  I’m hoping it was a pleasant surprise for you to find out that hey, I’m not so bad after all.  (I do try to over-deliver, which I furthermore try not to confuse with over-singing.)

I have to admit something, though.  While I’d Be a Fool is one of my personal favorites (can you really have a favorite…songs are like kids, you know), Latin Jazz isn’t my typical style.  In fact, I’m not quite sure what is.  If you must know, I have always struggled with the question:  What kind of music do you play?  Ask me, and I’ll answer simply, “Good music.”  Well, at least I like it, and that’s got to count for something.

So, I’ve created a sort of guide for you as you navigate your way through the Tina Sicre catalog of recordings.  You’ll see, I have all kinds of flavors in my songwriting (more on that in an upcoming post).  For now, here are my recommendations (BTW, you can stream these through my music player or download them from iTunes).

If you like Rock:

  • Scarlet Letter (the Chocolate song)
  • Small Day
  • Jealous
  • GD

Country:

  • Too Late
  • Perfectly Clear (rock-a-billy)
  • Blues Parody

Pop:

  • All You Need to Know
  • 10-Ton

Emo-Ballads:

  • Sweet Memory
  • Buying A Cake
  • Hand Me Downs

And if you’re a kid under the age of 6:

  • Felicity (complete with an inspirational solo on a mini-kids-piano)

While we’re here, how would you answer that question…”What kind of music do I play?”  Also posed as “Who do you sound like?”  Feel free to share in the comments.  Thanks!

A Mother’s Day Tribute – Sort of

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My mom passed away when I was 16.  My sister was only 8.  After a long bout with breast cancer in a time when nobody talked about breast cancer, she finally let go, and I believe found her peace.  She was my best friend.  My greatest role-model.  My mama.

I was just a girl.  Over the years, I have had to navigate my way through becoming a woman.  While every book written or kind words from loving family and friends is helpful, nothing can make up for the mom I should have had during the past 25+ years.

I miss her every day, still.  Sometimes I’m not even fully aware of it, but it’s there.  I think maybe, being normal for me has been redefined to being someone with a small, yet not insignificant piece of her heart missing.  We all have our losses, and I realize this is part of what connects us as humans.

Missing, is a sense in itself it would seem.  There are people who have had organs removed and say that at times they can feel that missing organ.  I somehow get what they mean.  I mean, I can actually feel that missing space inside me.  It manifests itself in an anxious, unsettled tension that takes me over, almost as if a little alarm is going off.

It wasn’t until a few years back that I put two-and-two together and realized this missing feeling always coincided with dates related to my mom:  her birthday, the day she died, the day we buried her.

June 30th is one of those days — her birthday.  After so many years of not knowing what to do with the feelings I had, I decided it was time to write a song — a dedication to the beautiful person I loved.  Rather than a sad tribute, I chose to make it a sort of “what would I do if you were here today” celebration of her spirit:  buy her flowers, make her breakfast in bed, taking her shopping, hold her, hug her, let her know how beautiful she is.

I’d buy her a cake, for sure.  Chocolate, of course.

The song — Buying A Cake — lets me do that.  Because I know in my heart that when I sing it, she feels all the love that I have for her.  And it was her lovely spirit that allowed me to write such a beautifully emotive song.

Happy Birthday, to my mama.  This one’s for you.