Talk To Me Tuesday #5 – Oops!!
Keep reading for details about the CD Release party and SWEAT pre-orders.
I?m sorry I didn?t get this out yesterday. I hope you had a GREAT Labor day.
CD Release Party
Just a reminder ? the CD Release party is at Red Light Caf? on Saturday, October 10, 2009. Doors will open around 7:15 p.m. Admission is $8 per person at the door, $7 if you buy them from my website. I am asking/encouraging everyone to buy their tickets ahead of time because I expect we will pack Red Light.
SWEAT Pre-Orders
SWEAT is available for preorder for $12. If you preorder a copy, you can pick it up at the CD Release party, or it will be shipped to you free of charge.
VERY IMPORTANT: To get free shipping, enter PARTY into the discount coupon field at checkout. Shipping charges will automatically be deducted.
The Store page can be found at www.mikerickard.com by clicking on Store. Or you can access it directly at www.store.mikerickard.com.
First Single
I?ve been giving you a lot of information about the new CD, but I?m so excited for you to hear it. It?s time!!! Go to www.mikerickard.com to listen to the title track, Sweat, now. It will automatically start streaming as soon as you access the website. (The mp3 player is embedded into the black bar ? if you can?t see it, that means you?ve got a newer version of flash than the player supports. Let me know if you can?t hear it.)
Please email me and let me know what you think of the song. I hope you love it!
Weekly Contest
I?m holding a free contest and you have the opportunity to win an autographed CD before it?s released. To enter, all you need to do is send me a question (click on the ?Win Free Stuff? tab on www.mikerickard.com). The best question each week will be entered into a drawing for a free autographed CD and is included in the newsletter. The remaining questions are posted on my website. This week, I received 4 questions. The winning question was submitted by J.H. in Farmersville, CA. He is entered into the drawing.
Q. Did your trip to India influence the CD or any of the songs in Sweat? (J.H., Farmersville, CA)
A. Yes. One of my trips to India (Chennei) lasted for three weeks. It had been a while since I had written any songs and I was determined to end the ?dry spell? while I was in India. So I set an appointment with myself to get up early one morning and write anything that would come. That day, I wrote the first draft of the lyrics for ?When The Hot Cools Down? and showed them to my friend Sridevi that afternoon. When I got back from India, I toyed with the idea of throwing some Indian-flavored sounds on one of the songs, but ultimately, I decided that wouldn?t work on this project.
A. Yes. One of my trips to India (Chennei) lasted for three weeks. It had been a while since I had written any songs and I was determined to end the ?dry spell? while I was in India. So I set an appointment with myself to get up early one morning and write anything that would come. That day, I wrote the first draft of the lyrics for ?When The Hot Cools Down? and showed them to my friend Sridevi that afternoon. When I got back from India, I toyed with the idea of throwing some Indian-flavored sounds on one of the songs, but ultimately, I decided that wouldn?t work on this project.
Here are the remaining questions (in no particular order):
Q. If you were single which celebrity would you want to go out on a date? (R.M., Minneapolis, MN)
A. Hmm, probably Jason Mraz or Steve Sandvoss.
Q. Chet Atkins said before the most guitar players (in the South) learn to play Mother Maybelle Carter’s “Wild Wood Flower”. As a Southern guitar player, did you ever play “Wild Wood Flower”? Have you ever considered singing and playing it? (J.H., Farmersville, CA)
A. No, I haven?t learned it. I wouldn?t rule it out, but no plans at the present. By the way, the first cover song I learned was, ?Killing Me Softly,? to learn a new guitar technique. I really enjoyed learning it and often perform it in concert.
A. No, I haven?t learned it. I wouldn?t rule it out, but no plans at the present. By the way, the first cover song I learned was, ?Killing Me Softly,? to learn a new guitar technique. I really enjoyed learning it and often perform it in concert.
Q. You talked about words, melodies and chords and how you plan to interchange this order to see what it inspires or produces. I would like to know how long ago this truly became a part of you and your life and what was the first complete song ever written? (D.P., Ft. Lauderdale, FL)
A. I often contrast my current musical experience with my past in contemporary Christian music. I sang all the time, but was never able to write anything that I liked, felt was good enough or would complete. However, a few years before moving to Atlanta, I wrote lyrics called, ?Yet I Will Praise.? The ensemble I sang with at the time was about to record a project and was looking for original lyrics or songs. On a whim, I showed our director the lyrics. He liked them and they were put to music and recorded. That was my first taste of being a ?songwriter.? When I moved to Atlanta, I did nothing musical for several years. But I started writing poetry/lyrics to nurse a broken heart. That was the first time I wrote something that I felt had potential. I began taking voice lessons again and also took a more studied approach to songwriting. One of my first songs that I really liked ended up on my first CD, and that song is, ?Forgot to Forget.? I believe I wrote that about 7 years ago. Once I had that initial confidence, writing became a bit easier. The old saying, ?Practice makes perfect,? is true. The more I write, the easier it becomes and the more I want to experiment with how, and what, I write.
Keep the questions coming ? and let me know what you think of the first song. I?ve got lots more exciting stuff to tell you.
Have a great week and I?ll talk to you next Tuesday!
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