365songs 365days

365SONGS 365DAYS is now ONEYEAROFSONGS.COM

Fri, 11 Mar 2011 01:04:16 -0500

365SONGS 365DAYS is now ONEYEAROFSONGS.COM:

CHECK IT OUT! 365songs 365days has a fancy domain name now! From now on I’ll be posting my tunes over there ladies and gents. So, keep checking back! We’re coming close to the half way mark and its getting good!

Once again, thanks for all you love and support. See you at oneyearofsongs.com!

160/365 - “D.T.P.R.R.” - There is a thing called the...

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 05:18:00 -0500

160/365 - “D.T.P.R.R.” - There is a thing called the D.T.R. talk. It stands for “Define The Relationship”. It’s the conversation every couple must have before they become a couple. During a D.T.R. talk, you usually just clarify whether or not you’re monogamous. Here’s my question: what happens after you break up? Who clarifies when you can or cannot be friends. What are the boundaries and when do you cross them?

I titled this one “D.T.P.R.R.”…which stands for “Define The Post Relationship Relationship”. One live take. Raw and unedited, just like this conversation.I loved yesterday’s song so much. I just didn’t have the heart to post over it…hence the delayed posting action. So today you get a double dosage. Make sure to check the song right before this if you haven’t yet!

157/365 - “Enough Is Enough” - “Secrets,...

Wed, 09 Mar 2011 23:37:00 -0500

157/365 - “Enough Is Enough” - “Secrets, secrets are no fun. Secrets, secrets hurt someone.” We learned it from a young age, and yet, some adults just don’t quite have that concept down. The truth comes out eventually. Be honest, be open, and, please, no games.

Anyways, I loved yesterday’s song so much. I just didn’t have the heart to post over it…hence the delayed posting action. So today you get a double dosage. Make sure to check the song right before this if you haven’t yet!

156/365 - “Movement Improvement” - In honor of today...

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 14:47:12 -0500

156/365 - “Movement Improvement” - In honor of today being International Women’s Day I wrote a rap. I mean, thats just the logical thing to do. Duh.

In all seriousness, I actually wasn’t planning on writing on this topic but when I sat down to write lyrics last night this is what came out first. So, I went with my gut and I’m pretty proud of the final product. I am falling in love with the blues. When I first began singing in middle school my father told me that I had a voice for jazz or the blues. It wasn’t until I began this project that I actually agreed with him. The texture your voice has to, for lack of a better phrase, “take on” when singing a blues melody is very different than any other genre. Brassy, rough, bold. So, of course I decided to begin the song with some bluesy humming.

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY TO ALL! Take a moment to realize how far we have come and then pause and think of those that are still oppressed today. Be thankful and never forget.

155/365 - “Mareyanne & Bobby” - Nikki, one of my...

Mon, 07 Mar 2011 23:18:00 -0500

155/365 - “Mareyanne & Bobby” - Nikki, one of my backup vocalists, said she was a writer of stories…not lyrics. I challenged her by asking her to write a story for me, that I would then adapt into a song.

N: About what?
H: About a girl, a weird girl, who’s strange, but not really. Everyone around her thinks theres something wrong with her but really shes the normal one.
N: What’s her name?
H: Mareyanne (the spelling Nikki chose)

And thus began this adorable little story about two friends named Mareyanne (8 5/12 years old) and Bobby (9 years old in five days).

About the writing process:

1. This piano part drove me crazy. I was hit with inspiration and it took me all but 30 minutes to write the entire piano part but when it came time to record…it was a whole other story.

2. Nikki wrote the story exactly like a children’s book. Pseudo pages and all. I adapted it and added in Bobby’s conversation bridge.

3. Harmonies. Mmmmm. I’ll never get tired of them. Ever.

154/365 - “For Christy/A Mother’s Song” -...

Sun, 06 Mar 2011 14:39:59 -0500

154/365 - “For Christy/A Mother’s Song” - Christy is a fan of mine…or so she calls herself. Its still strange to me to say “I have fans” but I guess I have to get used to it. She recently requested that I write a song for her neighbor’s daughter, Desire, who was leaving for Army bootcamp in a few weeks. I, of course, took up her offer and wrote Desire a song. You can listen to it here: 138/365 - For Desire/Take The World By Storm

So when her mother approached me a couple days ago asking if I’d write a song for Christy in honor of her 30th birthday I couldn’t say no. Christy was having a party thrown for her on Saturday (yesterday) and her mother wanted to surprise her at the party with the song. So, despite my INSANELY PACKED schedule on Saturday I woke up around 7am and started writing and recording around 8am. Luckily creativity woke up with me and it was an easy writing session. Altogether this one took me about 4 1/2 hours…not to bad. Christy follows my project so I knew I couldn’t upload this until after I knew she has heard the song. SNEAKY! She contacted me today to tell me how much she loved the song. I can’t tell you how happy I am when I hear that the music I write for someone has affected them. Its the best part of my job.

Happy birthday Christy. One day I’ll make my way down there and we’ll finally meet. I promise I’ll play this one for you. Thanks for being such an awesome “fan”, but really, friend.

154/365 -“Captivated” - Lets be honest: meeting...

Sat, 05 Mar 2011 10:35:00 -0500

154/365 -“Captivated” - Lets be honest: meeting someone for the first time can be awkward…or Just wonderful. This one is sung from the perspective of sOmeone either on a first date or among a big group that has been absolutely captured by a specific person’s nature. We’ve all been there. The way they talk, smile, smell, laugh…its all captivating.

So, wHo knows if you’ll ever meet again? You can worry about that later. Just for this moment, relish in that hug at the end of the night and when you turned and walked into the subway and sneaked a look back…there he was, sNeaking a glance back too.

153/365 - “Nobody Better Than Me” - Collaborated...

Fri, 04 Mar 2011 23:20:00 -0500

153/365 - “Nobody Better Than Me” - Collaborated with my good friend and backup vocalist, Jessica Rosenthal. I started off by writing the piano part while Jessica wrote some lyrics. We then worked together to come up with the melody lines and harmonies.

This was Jessica’s first time recording (so go easy on her folks!). This was also the first time her lyrics have ever been put to music…very exciting! I think she is very talented (obviously) and loved having the opportunity to work with her. She has been such a huge supporter throughout this whole process. Staying up with me into the wee hours of the morning, listening while I scream or cry about how frustrating this project can be, and (more than anything else) been a constant pillar of support. She’s nice, I guess.

Anyways, I hope you guys like this one. The girls and I have been working incredibly hard to get ready for our show at The National Underground. I hope you all can make it. It would mean the world, nay! the universe, to me to see all your faces in the audience. Heres the link to the facebook event: Heather Mae Foard - Saturday, March 12th - NATIONAL UNDERGROUND

152/365 - “I Don’t Care” - This really should...

Thu, 03 Mar 2011 14:22:50 -0500

152/365 - “I Don’t Care” - This really should have been titled “The Lazy Song” but I already used that one. We all have lazy days where we just don’t want to get up, get dressed, or do anything other than eat Cheetos in our bed and watch “Weeds”. This is a little diddy sung from the perspective of that lazy person inside of each of us.

I think rest is essential. I tend to travel 100mph and I hate being idle. My worst nightmare is a world where I have no purpose, no direction, and nothing to work towards. However, in order to continue going my usual 100mph, I need my occasional day of NOTHING. “Gilmore Girls”, ice cream, facebook, and pajamas.

I mean, even the President takes a day off.

151/365 - “Speak True” - Thank you to every single...

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 02:43:38 -0500

151/365 - “Speak True” - Thank you to every single person that has ever listened, encouraged, and shared my music. I appreciate you all so much.

150/365 - “Bad Habit” - I had MAJOR writer’s...

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 23:35:15 -0500

150/365 - “Bad Habit” - I had MAJOR writer’s block on this one. Perhaps the context was a bit too personal and subconsciously I didn’t want to write it? Maybe…but when you do a project like this, you can’t help but deal with your emotions. I mean, every writing session is therapy for me. The songs I write are the emotional outpour of whatever it is I’m trying to deal with. Sometimes they’re easy to get out but most of the time its a fight.

This one was definitely a fight.

149/365 - “Hello NYC” - I just got back to the city...

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 23:57:00 -0500

149/365 - “Hello NYC” - I just got back to the city today. As soon as I dropped my things off at my apartment, I had to turn around and go to work. So I never got a chance to upload yesterday’s song.

This is actually a little tune I was singing as I was packing up my things to head back home to the Big Apple. I first recorded it on my phone using a voice memo. When I began recording, I decided to use a piece of it for the song itself. You hear the original memo when I sing “Hello New York City”. It was difficult to master…considering the difference in recording equipment. So I decided to give that bit a “radio effect” and used it as an echo. Cool, yeah? Quick and easy. Hope you like it.

148/365 - “A & F” - About four months ago my...

Sun, 27 Feb 2011 18:43:00 -0500

148/365 - “A & F” - About four months ago my father asked me to write a love song about a long distance couple. Being in a long distance relationship myself at the time, I had no issue doing this. About four drafts later, the song you hear came about. I performed it live last night at my sister’s wedding reception and there wasn’t a dry eye in the place. Not because of the musicality of the song but because everyone in that room knew how much Autumn and Fredrik had gone through just to get to that day.

I broke my own rule. I wrote this song a couple months ago. I know, I KNOW: one NEW song every day for an entire year. I know! But this was for a very special occasion and I just had to share it. Besides, when your sister gets married, and you’re a bridesmaid in said wedding, there really isn’t any time to write a song. This is the last draft I sent to my father for his final “okay”. The guitar and vocals were recorded as one live take. Its very rough and at times I’m even a bit “pitchy” but I decided not to re-record it because I wanted you to get that live experience. I mean, I wrote it for the purpose of performing it so I figured it should be heard that way too…

I am so incredibly happy for you Autumn and Fredrik. I mean, Mr. & Mrs. Wallin. <3

147/365 - “Untitled 3” - My sister is getting...

Sat, 26 Feb 2011 09:13:44 -0500

147/365 - “Untitled 3” - My sister is getting married today. As in, Saturday. I wrote this yesterday amongst all the manicures, luncheons, decorating the venue, the rehearsal, and the rehearsal dinner. Being a bridesmaid ain’t easy. So, forgive me if I slacked a bit on this one.

I can’t believe the day is finally here. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s song. Bring some tissues…trust me. Its a good one ;]

146/365 - “Where Babies Come From” - I decided I...

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 02:26:00 -0500

146/365 - “Where Babies Come From” - I decided I wanted to write a 30-second children’s song for today’s entry. Something easy to memorize…like “The ABCs” or “You Are My Sunshine”. However, everything that was coming out was either satirical or brutally honest…a la Phoebe Buffay. I decided to go with my instinct and write whatever came to mind.

Without further ado, this is an example of the conversation I will have with my kids when they start asking questions about where babies come from.

Yep, I went there.

Well hey there! Thats my face and this is my first live music...

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 05:09:59 -0500

Well hey there! Thats my face and this is my first live music video!! Remember when I posted 141/365 - “Moon Secrets” and told you to stay tuned for a video? Well, here it is ladies and gents!! Woohoo!

So, go ahead. Click on the link, watch it on Youtube (boost that view count), comment, and subscribe to my channel! This is the first of many but I need your help! Let me know you’re out there watching and listening lovelies.

OH! And make sure you check out yesterday’s song…right below this entry. Ok? Ok!

145/365 - “Get Gone” - I felt this song coming on....

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 04:59:00 -0500

145/365 - “Get Gone” - I felt this song coming on. When I sat down to write in the basement of my home in Virginia, it was as if there was a tap! tap! tap! at the window. This idea came rushing at me the second I began playing my guitar…I just merely caught it in the air before it passed onto another songwriter. I know you’ve heard me say it a thousand times but this one wrote itself. I was just the facilitator; molding the ideas with every rush of creativity.

I’d categorize this under the blues. The percussion you hear are hand slaps on the guitar. The chords are pretty repetitive but thats usually the case with this genre. The vocals are low-fi because I used the built-in microphone on my Mac. I just didn’t feel like traveling to VA with my condenser microphone. I always feel like a, excuse my language, bad ass when I sing songs like this.

Leave a comment and let me know what you think of this one. Pretty sassy, yeah?

144/365 - “12:12” - I came home from work today...

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 00:32:03 -0500

144/365 - “12:12” - I came home from work today (yes, on top of writing 365 songs in 365 days, booking gigs, and basically being my own manager/agent/publicist, I am a nanny in the city) and all I wanted to do was play piano. I wasn’t in a particular angry mood but thats what came out. Angry, dark, minor. This project has taught me to not ignore what comes out instinctually just because I am in a different mood than what my fingers might be playing. I’ve learned to go with my gut and stop analyzing…definitely one of the upsides of this project.

So, with that, here is a song I’ve titled “12:12”…the time on the clock when I was completely finished with this song.

Comments, yeah?

143/365 - “Floor Talks” - I’m a little...

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 05:07:00 -0500

143/365 - “Floor Talks” - I’m a little obsessed with love. I’m always trying to find new ways to write about this thing that unites us all. It fascinates me. You can’t touch it. You can’t smell it. You can’t even see it. And yet, this emotion rules our lives. Whether you’re searching for it, trying to maintain it, or stuffing it away - its there. I can’t even begin to list how many different angles there are for writing a love song. This one is a, well, maybe I’ll just let you listen.

At the end there is a 9 part harmony. I wrote this one with the idea of it being the background for an emotive scene in a TV show (i.e. Grey’s Anatomy). Like always, thank you so much for listening. You make my heart so happy!

Oh! And don’t forget to check out yesterday’s rock song! Inspired by the movie “The Runaways”. Check it out! Make sure to leave a comment!! :)

142/365 - “Take Me Rock Me” - After watching The...

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 23:40:00 -0500

142/365 - “Take Me Rock Me” - After watching The Runaways last night I just couldn’t help but write a rock song. Now, normally I wouldn’t be able to write a song like this on my own. Well, that is, I didnt THINK I could. I genuinely surprised myself. Its short because I was afraid I was going to bust a lung on this one. Just enough to leave you wanting more right?

I wrote the guitar part incredibly fast. Pretty easy chord progression (usually the case for this type of rock music). Percussion includes banging on my desk and hand claps. Woo! I decided to wait on the vocals till today (Monday), even though that meant I was going over my 24 hour limit. After a weekend of rehearsing with the girls (for our upcoming gig @ The National Underground - MARCH 12TH - 730PM!!!), my voice was pretty weak by Sunday night. Strong and healthy vocal chords are important when recording music like this.

MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE SOME LOVIN IN THE COMMENT SECTION!!! ROCK ON!