Thursday, June 28, 2012

Break Even (Cover)



The Story:
So December 2011 when I decided to take the leap and perform at my first open mic with my guitar I met Jay, a fellow musician/singer/songwriter who has become a good friend of mine.  Jay and I have done a couple of open mics together and had many jam sessions where we would share the latest song we learned on the guitar or a new original tune we wrote.  This is one of the very first songs we worked on and decided to perform it the next day at an open mic.




Hip Hop Or Hip Not?

Nasty Girls (Cover)
Adult Language Advisory


http://f.cl.ly/items/0V3r1r161l0h0a381e08/07%20Nasty%20Girl.mp3

The Story:
Yeah I'm no rapper or hip hop artist :-)  The song Nasty Girls was recorded back in 1997/98 when I was at VCU and everyone had a beat machine that was going to make them the next hot producer :-)  Well I asked one of those folks to loop a track for me and then I went to visit my buddies Brook and Will who were two brothers who had a basement studio.   If you knew me back in my college days...well you know I was famous for jumping into a free style cypher just for the fun of it and to get a good laugh.  So I decided to add in a couple of lines...LOL...at the time I really thought I was doing something.  I can't believe how young and squeaky my voice sounds.  This one should have stayed in the Vault but I thought it would be a fun listen for you all!!!

The Suburban Pioneer is what happens when you are bored and the guy that you are dating has a home studio and a couple of verses he can throw your way to make you sound like you might actually be a serious hip hop artist...No I don't think I fooled anyone :-)  But at least you know I don't take myself to serious or I wouldn't dare share this with you.  Enjoy!!!
 

Hip Not Not

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Can You?

So I was riding in my car singing to the tunes on the radio.  Then I heard a song that sounded so very familiar...It was my song on the Radio!!!  I almost wrecked my car as I heard the music to the song I recorded a couple months earlier with my friend Eddie Valoy.  Well turns out that the song was a sample of the original song called "Stoned Cold Picnic" by the 5th Dimensions!  For almost 30 seconds I thought my boy Eddie was about to get paid BIG TIME :-)

Can You?
(Music Arrangement and Backup Vocals Eddie Valoy
Vocal Arrangement & Lyrics by Nadia Trammell)


Candy and flowers will make me smile

A poem that says I'll give you the world

Dinner by candle light

A picnic underneath the stars

Pre Chorus:

All need is some poetry

Red roses and blue violets

And all I need is some romance

dinner by candle light

And all I need is some loving

lasting all through the night

and all I need is a real man

Who knows how to treat me right

Chorus:

Ooh Boy can you love me real

If you can't come correct then don't come at all

Ooh Boy can you love me strong

Cause you got to get what you give 
and that's the only way I Live
 
whisper nothing sweet in my ear

Wine and Dine it's fine anytime

whisk me away to your special place

Call in the middle of the day Just to say

Pre Chorus:

Chorus:

Bridge:

Red Roses
 (All I need)

Blue Violets
 (Is some poetry)

Dinner By
 (All I need)

Candle light
 (Is Some Romance)

Lasting through
 (All I need)

The night
 (Is Some Good loving)

Who Knows How
 (All I need)

To treat me right
 (Is a real man)

Chorus:

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Rain

http://api.cld.me/2J3k171J0R1e0N2o1t0H/download/01%20Rain.mp3


The Story:
I think I wrote this song back in 2005...I think.  It was one of those rainy days where there wasn't much to do but stay in the house and lay low.  So I decided to pick out a couple of notes on my guitar and a couple hours later "Rain" was blessing my speakers.  The verse of the song was from a poem I wrote in high school.  I often think I was a better writer in my youth...

Rain
(Music, Vocal Arrangement & Lyrics by Nadia Trammell)

You are the rain inside of my soul
drowning in thoughts and dreams made of you
Like the rain to others we will grow old
For in the years to come our love will be true
Chorus:
My sweet rain...
Cleanse my soul make me new
My sweet rain...
Wash away all my blue
My sweet rain...

Thursday, December 1, 2011

First Acoustic Performance

The Story:
When I was in the 6th grade everyone was given the option to play an instrument or sing in the choir, which later would allow you to play the guitar. I wish that Bobby Brown never came out with that "My Prerogative" video that had all these girls on stage dancing and playing instruments(see video below). I thought the lady playing the sax was SOOOOOOOOO Cool and begged my parents to let me play the sax for school. Six years later I never took the saxophone home to practice, still managed to have first chair and was bored to death of the thing. By the time my senior year of high school came around I decided it just wasn't COOL enough for me to keep playing Yankee Doodle Dandy, so I quite :-)

lovely decor on display!
Looking back I always wish I had picked the guitar because guess what...you can't sing and play the sax at the same time :-) In college I played around with the guitar but never really took it serious and it served more as a decorative piece of art to display in my house. Two years ago I gave my dad's old guitar back to him and purchased myself a Fender acoustic. When 2011 rolled around, again I noticed that I had another beautiful piece of decor on display so I decided to challenge myself and I set a goal to perform in public before 2012.

Last month I sent a video of me playing the guitar to a friend and asked for some pointers. I asked him if I could pull off an open mic or if I should wait and practice a little more. He said I just needed to go an do it...so last night I did IT. I popped my cherry and played my guitar in public for the first time!

I need to stop decorating!!!
I sounded like I was playing a toy guitar and it was out of tune.  Who would guess that you need to tune your guitar right before you go on ;-)  But hey I did it and now I know what to expect. I met a lot of great folks and the venue is 3 blocks away from my house. Can't wait to go back...might even get a couple more in before 2012 :-)!!!

The video of "Let's Get it On" and "Tyrone" is me practicing the night before.  The "From where I'm standing" video is the one I sent to my friend asking if I could pull of an open mic.  Oh and I am not left handed...the video is just in a mirrored format.

Let's Get it On
(I was told to stop playing with the thumb pick.  As 
you can see I chickened out and decided to use it for 
the open mic just in case i got so nervous that the pick 
flew out my hand)


From Where I'm Standing
(My nails needed to be cut on my strumming hand. You can hear them banging on the guitar)


Tyrone
(Yeah I know I'm making some crazy facial expressions...Enjoy the comedy!!!  Oh and my little Dog is holding it down with the toe tapping percussion skills )


Reason Why I Picked the Saxophone
Bobby Brown



Tuesday, November 15, 2011

So In Love



The Story:
Eddie Valoy, a good friend of mine was letting me listen to some of his new tracks.  When I heard this track I asked Eddie what lyrics he had written for it and he said he didn't have any ideas for it yet.  So I asked if I could write something to it.  When I heard the music to this track I immediately fell in love with it and my mind was overflowing with so many images and feelings.  When I hear good music I automatically see images and scenes playing out in my head.  Whatever I see in my head determines the subject and tone of what my lyrics will be about.

This song made me see images of the Fall, Rainy nights with a chill in the air, Couples holding hands running across a busy street, The warmth/affection/love from your lover to melt the chill in the air...

I wanted to do the vocals over again on the recording but never got a chance to do it.  I was singing really flat the day it was recorded and I had other vocal arrangements that I wanted to add for a bridge and the ending, but it just never happened.  So it is What it is and you get the idea...


So In Love
(Music by Eddie Valoy
 Vocal Arrangement & Lyrics by Nadia Trammell)




The things you do for me that no one else can see
You kiss my cheek when I'm asleep
You take my hand when I am weak
The way you make me feel
I know your love is real
You make laugh when I am down
You hold me close when I'm around
Chorus:
The things I see you do
Make me so in love with you
And I know your heart is true
The way you make me feel
Keeps me so in love with you
And I know your heart is true
The things you do for me that everyone can see
You Open doors when the night is cold
You cross the street and give your arm to hold
The way you make me feel
No doubt our love is real
You touch my heart no use for hands
You make me proud you are my Man



Chorus:
The things I see you do
Make me so in love with you
And I know your heart is true
The way you make me feel
Keeps me so in love with you
And I know your heart is true

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Miss Celie's Blues

The Story:
I did this song at Blues Alley for my little Sistah Brandy!!!  When we were younger she would play this song on the piano and we would act out the Color Purple scene from the movie.  Fun times...I couldn't have asked for a better sister and best friend. Wishing many years of blessings to My Sistah and her Husband to be.

Miss Celie's Blues
(Vocals by Nadia Trammell)
Sister,
you've been on my mind
Sister, we're two of a kind
So sister,
I'm keepin' my eyes on you
I betcha think
I don't know nothin'
But singin' the blues

Oh sister, have I got news for you
I´m somethin'
I hope you think (I know you think)
that you´re somethin' too
Oh, Scufflin',
I been up that lonesome road
And I seen a lot of suns goin' down
Oh, but trust me
No low life's gonna run me around  
So let me tell you somethin' sister
Remember your name
No twister,
gonna steal your stuff away
My sister
We sho' ain't got a whole lot of time
So shake your shimmy,
Sister
Cause honey the 'shug
is feelin' fine