Yup. I did it.

I covered a Selena song!

AND I did it back to back with my Elastic Heart cover that I posted earlier this week. 2 covers in one week. KILLIN' IT!

What is happening!?! I guess it's a burst of creative energy, so I'm just rollin' with it! :)

This was a very spontaneous recording... I was working for a local commercial and got my makeup done in the morning. (um?  why am I so lucky? Get to have my makeup done for WORK!)

My work was finished by lunch and I thought - there's no way I'm letting this amazing makeup go to waste!

So I quickly went over some songs in the charts and remembered Good for You, which I thought was hypnotic and awesome. So it stuck with me, and away I went!

I practiced as much as possible until the sun started setting, and a friend of mine here in London was kind enough to allow me to use his beautiful patio.  I had about 568.3 seconds before the sun was going down! I recorded this in speed mode. Really didn't think I was gonna make it!  (That's why it's a tiny bit sloppy and sometimes no so in focus. :/// Sorry about that guys - I was rushed by the beautiful setting sun.)

Annnnnnyway.

I'm really happy with the result.

I opted for no guitar again - just vocal instrumentation, which I am really starting to dig.

Let me know your thoughts on sound, song choice, overall look of the video.

Thank you so much for your pledge in September!  

Allllll my love and hugs to you :)

Xoxoxoxoxo

Jessica

Dearest friends!

Here is a video that was created with the help of a pilgrim on 'el Camino De Santiago'. Thank you Mervi for being such a good sport!

I had my iPhone set to the wrong setting, which is why it is jittery, but I kind of like the effect. In any case, the location (botanic garden outside Azofra) was too good not to use, so I am hoping you will enjoy it anyway! :-)

You might remember that I already posted the recording in my last update. You can download it from there.

Also, a huge welcome to Troy from Texas, my newest patron. Great to have you on board Troy, and your support is extremely welcome!

The latest news is that I have been jamming with a didgeridoo player on the streets of San Sebastian (Basque country). We are making some very interesting sounds (and creating a bit of a stir too). I might well post a video of us together for my next creation.

Be well and thank you!

Markus K

Dearest friends,

I wanted you to be the first to see this video of me and my new friend Iban Nikolai. However, when I sent it to Iban to check whether he was happy with it, I think he liked it so much that he put it out on Facebook straight away, so some of you might have already seen it doing the rounds. 

Iban is a world renowned didgeridoo player from the Basque country. I saw him play on the street in San Sebastian and I took his card so I could contact him. He liked what I was doing and we decided to meet up for an improvisation on the seafront in San Sebastian. Here is one of our first pieces together, totally improvised. It felt totally natural, totally easy.

The next day, 'proper' pieces started appearing, still mostly improvised. The third day, I switched to electric guitar and I started including vocals and electric guitar. There was something very magical about the combination. To say we got on like a house on fire is an understatement, and the response on the street was a real surprise. We had bigger and bigger gatherings wherever we played. 

We are now working on an album together and we are planning to do festivals and tours next year. I am sure there will be more videos to follow, but I wanted you to see one of the very first pieces, on our first day of improvisation together. It might prove to be historic. :-)

'DidgeriBlues' anyone? :-)

HI GANG!

Still haven't got the internet installed in my new (fresh and mould-free) flat, but WORRY NOT. I will be so active during the next 6+ weeks that you won't even notice that I'm doing all of this on an unstable leeched wifi connection! :D

LIFE. :D

From the beginning of my recent #SWParksTour this shot of the Yosemite Valley is among my favorites.  The very small flow in Bridalveil Falls speaks to how dry the last year has been, but it did not prevent the valley from living up to its reputation for beauty. 

This image is a perfect addition to the collection I'm putting together for the Healing Art Cart program.  A view like this will certainly help to take the mind away from suffering.

http://www.manifestphoto.com/Art/Art-For-Healthcare/i-WpcSjmX/A

Keywords: Fine Art, Photography, Photographer, Artist, Healing, Nature, Landscape, Healthcare, Evidence-Based Art, Healing, Stress Reduction, Yosemite, El Capitan, Half Dome, Waterfall, Valley, Green, Sunset, Pink, Clouds, Beautiful

Dearest friends,

Driving back from the Basque country, I wrote two songs, specially for my forthcoming album with Iban Nikolai on didgeridoo. This was the second one. It is in the key of B flat, perfect for his pitch adjustable didgeridoo, which has a beautiful resonance.

I Wanna Dance With You Baby

Chorus

I wanna dance with you baby, dance with you baby (3x)

Maybe we can dance the shame away

Verse 1

Don’t be afraid, I am not gonna hurt you

The battlefield is at least a mile away

I’ve done my duty killing all that I could

My weapons are down, I think I’ll call it a day

Chorus

Verse 2

I can see in your eyes that you’re attracted to me

You can probably sense that I’m attracted to you too

Before we return to our opposite sides

Let’s work on peace between me and you

Chorus

Verse 3

I know you’ve lost your father and brothers

Most likely lost significant others

It makes no sense what’s happening here

All this suffering caused by greed and fear

Final Chorus

I wanna cry with you baby cry with you baby (3x)

Maybe we can cry the war away

More soon...

Dearest friends,

I have ear-marked this new song as the opening piece for my forthcoming album with Iban Nikolai on didgeridoo. We will be meeting up on Monday or Tuesday to start recording and I am very much looking forward to working on this song. I think it could be quite epic! I imagine his didgeridoo to set the scene and then we will take it from there.

Here are the lyrics:

The Crumbling Of The Berlin Wall

M Koehorst – 10 sep 2015

Every story has two sides

And you can tell me which you see

But when the difference is done

That’s where you might find me

Men may come and men may go

But I go on for ever

We don’t need to wait that long

If we want to be together

You see this and they see that

But I can see it all

I am the fading of the lines

The crumbling of the Berlin Wall

I hope you like it!

Oh, and you will notice our new 'corporate sponsor' at the end of the video. Brilliant to have your support Thomas. You got me to my first milestone! :-)