Photo Credit: Drew Herron

We find inspiration through artists like Mariah Carey and Taylor Swift who are not only phenomenal singers, but they write their own music. They tell stories from their own lives, therefore adding a unique stamp to every song they sing. After all, we all live different lives, and every song offers the opportunity to share a unique story.

I’m not a professional song writer, but I am writer. From my experience I’ve learned that when you write from the heart, it makes the story that much better. Be authentic. Be true to yourself.

When I need inspiration, I go outside and spend time in nature. Other times I’ll go to the bookstore or coffee shop for a change of scenery.

If you are a songwriter, I would recommend listening to other people’s music. Listen to something you don’t normally listen to. Doing this may give another perspective of life you would have never thought of before.

If anything, just stay open and allow the words to flow to you. Don’t force the song to be written.

Just be you.

1998: It was a dark moment in my life.

I was going through a rough break-up with a boyfriend. I was trying to figure out what many of us want to know – what the “meaning” of life is. I was trying to figure out my own identity. I felt utterly…and completely…

…lost.

One day I walked into the store to shop for groceries. My mind was numb with sadness. But then, I heard this Michael Jackson song playing…

“…Something whispers in my ear and says
That you are not alone
For I am here with you
Though you’re far away
I am here to stay

But you are not alone
For I am here with you
Though we’re far apart
You’re always in my heart
But you are not alone…”

I heard those words and it gave me a glimmer of hope. I felt The Universe was sending me this message via Michael Jackson…

I was not alone.

To this day I remember that moment – the moment when Michael Jackson was the catalyst to help lift my spirits, as his songs have always done, on a day when I had lost hope.

Thank you for shining your light on this world, Michael. Your music and your spirit will live forever in our hearts.

Watch the video: “You Are Not Alone”

I appreciate DJs who add twist and turns to their mixes. It’s boring to hear the same songs every hour day after day…and there are many radio stations that do this!

In this video, the one and only Diddy shares his thoughts on DJs and offers some advice to them…

Let this be a challenge to all DJs out there – or to any other artist out there…Stretch the limits and be more creative with your work. What can you do differently?

So it was pretty exciting to finally place a voice to his face   In my interview with Rob we get to know more about his musical background, how he markets his music online, and his philosophies about life and creativity.  Click here to listen to the interview at BlogTalkRadio.

Rob is originally from the UK, but he recently moved to Thailand where he now lives with the love of his life.  Every week he posts a new song over at his blog, The Weekly Songcast, and shares the philosophy or the story behind the song. 

For a limited time you can get Rob’s debut album for free which is due to release in October.  Get more details about this great offer!  I just downloaded the Weekly Songcast Volume 2 so I can listen to “Wealth Abundance Joy” everyday.  Looking forward to the release!

You can find The Boy at Heart online at:

Again, here’s the link to listen to the interview.

“I don’t always like to talk about it in great detail, but music saved my life literally. Writing songs and singing is so therapeutic for me.” — Mariah Carey

The sweet melody of a love song, the soothing sound of chords on the piano – music certainly has a way of touching the innermost corners of our souls. I don’t know about you, but all I need to make a day brighter is to turn on some happy tunes. I’m not a songwriter, but all the poetry I wrote back in my college days – which could actually be turned into songs – really helped me get through some rough times, so I definitely can relate to what Mariah Carey is saying here.

Music is definitely better than medicine!

Photo Credit: Rossina Bossio Bossa

That’s the advice Neil Diamond gave to the last five contestants of American Idol as they awaited their fate during tonight’s show.

I think I still have yet to meet any artist who doesn’t have a passion for their craft. It’s something about art or creating music that conjures up feelings of bliss. Unless you let your ego listen to naysayers, you continue to produce pieces that come from the heart and soul. You keep creating music because you love it – no matter if you’re paid or not.

And that, my friends, is the secret to longevity in the music business!

Photo Credit: a DELL

Then there are others who use music as a platform to give back. Simon Cowell, the producer of American Idol, has used the power that the show has had to do good by putting on the “Idol Gives Back” special every year. It’s a show full of guest performances by some of the hottest names in the industry – all coming together to bring awareness to the people who are less fortunate than us.

I had no idea who was going to be performing, so I was pleasantly surprised to see Gloria Estefan with Sheila E! My favorite performance of the night was by Mariah Carey who’ve I’ve admired ever since her career started.

Let’s rewind a little to last night when Idol contestants sang inspirational songs. I’ve been teetering between David Cooke and David Archuleta as the winner, but regardless I think all of them will go far in the business.

Here’s David Cooke performing the song, “Innocent”…

Make a contribution and save a life! Visit: AmericanIdol.com Check out my thoughts about the 2007 Idol Gives Back show…

Watching this video has truly inspired me and makes me want to take up piano lessons again! I recently purchased a CD to reacquaint myself with classical music and the sound of the piano. I even went on a hunt for free piano lessons…Don’t have a piano yet, but will start practicing on my boyfriend’s keyboard

Here’s a great piano blog: The Collaborative Piano Blog

Today I played an old Mariah Carey song, Hero, and visualized myself singing in front of a huge crowd…

It’s a very inspiring song and after singing it I felt so much better…so relaxed…and therapeutic.

Read more about how singing heals the body and soul.

I came across this interesting study on first graders in a New York City school. They wanted to know the effects of listening to slow tempo classical music on the children’s on-task performance. What they found was that when the music was played during writing time, the children’s on-task behavior increased by 7.7%. There was also a decrease in the overall classroom noise level. Read the document from the study here.

I noticed that I, too, am able to stay on-task while I listened to this piano music. I tend to get ADD while I’m writing — stopping to take a break every ten minutes to check my website stats or email. However, I’m more focused now during writing because I listen to this classical piano music.

Read about another writer, J.L. Murphey, who uses music to help her be more productive during writing…

Related Post:
Listen to Music to Increase Productivity
>>>Buy classical mp3 music at Amazon.com