Art in a Family

I love that my kids are creative ~ personally I grew up in a non-artistic family and it's tough traveling this eccentric road alone. So when it came to raising my boys I nurtured their desires for self expression. It wasn't easy but as it turned out I wound up with three uniquely creative souls ~ a writer, a musician, and the oldest... well, you name it, he does it; sculpting, drawing, tattooing, etc.

While I could write sheets and sheets about all three and their inspiring talents, today I simply wanted to share a little bit about my second son, the musician. You see he's coming out with a new album soon and of course being the beaming mom I'm promoting it, but there's really more to it than just a simple album.

This is his third album, titled "Old Heart New Love", and it's in followup to his first "She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not" ~ written about a heart-wrenching breakup (hopefully his first and last). This album moves on from that starting point and embraces progress.  While all of his albums feature an amazing assortment of his original music and lyrics, there are striking differences between them.  Originally performed solo, he's now joined by a talented ensemble of band members and that, coupled with professional sound mixing, has brought a new multidimensional quality and depth to his music.

Beyond these aspects their fans and public are sure to love, it's the cooperative efforts and personal journeys I'm most inspired by.  From indie musicians to artists, this album is a collective labor of love and dedication. They've supported the entire production themselves and worked day and night around their "real" jobs, to see this dreams come true.

Moreover I'm captivated by the albums' artwork, all of which was created by one of my son's closest friends. Seeing how the imagery  has evolved over time from an original plucked flower to a skinned tattoo with thumping heart has been mesmerizing and stands as a visual representation of the progression and growth of this band and my son's music.

Here's a pre-released single if you'd like to have a listen to "She Shakes My Foundation" by Sound of a Smirk:

Free music player widget at ReverbNation.com

http://www.reverbnation.com/soundofasmirk/song/18685846-she-shakes-my-foundation-new-single#

While preparing the artwork for print I've had the chance to personally delve into the details of this newest album.  While I love it all, my personal favorite is the t'shirt that comes with preordering the album ~ you see  how the heart is there between the hands which are dripping into petals, but did you notice it looks like a flower? I didn't at first.

As far as the journey ~ it's simply priceless to witness our children grow through life. As parents we shutter at their pitfalls and rise in delight with their triumphs. So seeing them grow through heartbreak, coming out the other side wiser, happier, and stronger, are the some of the greatest blessings we can hold. 

Having a creative soul for a child takes that even further, enabling us to possess "markers" of their journeys ~ whether it's a painting, a poem, or songs woven into an album, they tap into the souls of our dearhearts and allow us to share even deeper in their experiences.  These are all the miracles of art in a family and the truest treasurers of this life.

And so I encourage you to follow this talented band, Sound of a Smirk, on Facebook, have a listen to their pre-releases, and preorder their bundle. Appreciating true creativity across generations is what fuels our deepest relationships ~ so listen, share, and enjoy, but most of all ~ preorder. *smile*

Enjoy~

Headache

While I may me experiencing a few of these from my summer bug, this "headache" is of a different sort...
Here's a video by the same name, featuring my son performing his newest song ~ hats off to the crew who put this together, they really did a super job!

Enjoy~

A Vote ~

I've never been very good at this, soliciting help from others, but when it comes to our kids it's amazing what comfort zones we'll step beyond. My son has entered a contest, it's a songwriter competition on CD Baby and he sure could use your help.

Personally I love the song he's submitted ~ it's original, upbeat, and completely 100% 'him'. I sure would appreciate it if you'd have a listen and cast a vote for him ~ his name is Jesse but he goes by "Sound of a Smirk" and you can participate by visiting the link below...

I hope you'll take the time to listen and vote and even share on your own blog, Twitter, or Facebook page.

Thanks soooo much!

Sound of a Smirk

Shed Off Old Skin ~ That's the title of my son's new single, just released on iTunes and destined to be a new alternative hit, but then what isn't in this proud Mom's heart! I had the pleasure of creating the album art but this posting isn't about that~

Jesse spent some time in the recording studio with this song and the mix is simply wonderful! He's found a new producer and plans on recording several of his original songs in the studio to come out with an EP ('extended play' for us dinosaurs) later this year. I really love the quality of this song and how it builds, I described it as a full bodied wine and he was pleased with that. It probably shouldn't amaze me that he wrote all the music and lyrics but it does ~ certainly a talent I don't possess.

So if you've got 99 cents to spare and wish to listen to a wonderfully talented alternative artist then hop on over to iTunes and grab a copy of Sound of a Smirk's Shed Off Old Skin ~ here's the link. Oh and if you're someone who enjoys Facebook here's the link to his FB page - www.facebook.com/theSoundofaSmirk.

Enjoy~

Sound of a Smirk ~ She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not

One of the recent projects I had the immense pleasure of working on was my son's first CD "She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not" by his musical name "Sound of a Smirk".

Jesse has his own Facebook page for Sound of a Smirk and you can view his promotional video about the album here:

His CD is available for purchase at any of his live shows, where you can also pick up a t'shirt and the is available for purchase online by clicking the image below:

Of course the word "proud" doesn't even begin to express the depth of emotion I have for my son and his amazing innate musical abilities and the sheer amount of personal work and drive he's put into this project. He truly has lived the mantra "do a little bit each day toward what you love and before you know it...".

But beyond the usual proud-momma stance, I am also immensely impressed with the personal growth he's experienced through this journey as he continues to be an immense inspiration to all of us who have the honor of calling him family.

Namaste' Jesse~