HI GUIZE! I’m here to play 18 questions! So if you wanna get to know me a little bit better, this is how! So buckle your seatbelts and prepare your butts.
1. Which bands/artist do you own the most albums by?
I have several bands i own almost every album of... i use digital downloading for now since i actually have nowhere to store physical cds anymore, but when i get my own place, i will be collecting again. But the 3 bands i have the most albums to are Nightwish, Delain, and Within Temptation. 2. What was the last song you listened to? Detonate by Starkill 3. What’s in your CD player right now? I do not have one anymore, as i had nowhere to store it. But the thing playing on my iPad is Starkills album, Gravity. 4. What was the last show you attended? The last show I attended was Unleash the Archers right before the Coronavirus quarantine began. In fact, one week after the show, the whole world was on lockdown and everyone’s tours got cancelled. 5. What was the greatest show you’ve been to? I would have to say that the greatest show I have ever been to was Grand Magus, Arch Enemy, At the Gates, and Amon Amarth. That show was the iciest show and every band killed it on stage! 6. What was the worst show you’ve ever been to? I went to a show once whereI did not know any of the bands too well and they were ALL terrible. I don’t want to give names. But the show was so bad because the sound system was out of whack and every band looked like they were struggling. It hurt so bad to watch. 7. What is the most musically involved you have ever been? I am currently lead singer and songwriter for a band called Sun Lay Silent, the lead singer of a project called Nox Aeternum that is debuting soon, and I have a solo project and several guest appearances in the future. I also have quite a few friends in the metal scene that have been very helpful in leading my projects in the right direction. I am pretty damn involved in the scene and am a HUGE fan of metal in general. I hope to tour soon and be even more in touch with it. 8. What show are you looking forward to? I WAS looking forward to Battle Beast and Seven Spires cause I was gonna buy VIP passes to meet both bands and I was SUPER excited cause Adrienne and Norah are a couple of my favorite vocalists and i got my chance to meet them taken due to Covid 19. That shit seems to be ruining EVERYTHING. 9. What is your favorite band shirt? I have a shirt by Delain that had a lovely lady with a lamp and the color scheme is so gorgeous. I have been very very careful to not mess it up at all because i love it that much! 10. What musician would you like to hang out with for a day? I think I would enjoy hanging out with Adrienne Cowan, as our interests are very similar and she is actually very easy to talk to. 11. Who is one musician or group you wish would make a comeback? I REALLY wish that Ronnie James Dio would rise from the dead for one last album. I feel if he wrote a new album during this time, it would do REALLY well and I would LOVE to hear new work from him. 12. Who is one band/ artist you’ve never seen live but always wanted to? I have always wanted to watch Nightwish. I hear their current vocalist, Floor Jansen is AMAZING live and I have seen videos on YouTube of her performances live. I want to experience this in person. 13. Name four or more flawless albums This one is WAY too hard. But if i had to choose 4 completely flawless albums that I never skip a single song to, they would be Gravity by Starkill Apex by Unleash the Archers Until the End by Eleine Moonbathers by Delain 14. How many concerts have you been to, total? Like 10... I was a very deprived child.... 15. Who have you seen the most live? Madonna.... I am a fan of her older work. 16. What is your favorite movie soundtrack? My favorite movie soundtrack is the Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring soundtrack. It was actually one of the albums that got me into composition. Plus, I had the pleasure of joining in on the choir for one of the shows they held in my home town. My college choir sang along with a few of the songs in the audience to make the experience broader. 17. What was your last musical ‘phase’ before you wisened up? I have never really had a “phase”. But i used to just listen to trendy shit on the radio to fit in, as i was always kind of an outcast. But then i discovered metal was my true calling. After that, i sank in and have not gotten over it. There is so much to metal! I love it! 18. What is your ‘guilty pleasure’ that you hate to admit liking? I actually like SOME Lady Gaga music. Mostly the softer stuff. And I also like Elton John A LOT. Lol!
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guys.... oh. My. God....
ok. Ummmm. I am gonna get right down to business. No sugarcoating things. As of now, I feel the need to say something about how the hell 2020 has been so far...
2020 started off like any other normal year. With festivities and new changes to my life that began immediately. And I observed many of my fellow artists release new content or announce lineup changes.... but then, about the middle of February, things got a little bit nutty.... I am not talking like “that’s weird”... I am talking a major WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK IS GOING ON kind of change... about mid February, it was announced that COVID 19 was becoming hard to contain. Many in China have lost their lives over it and it was beginning to spread around the country... no biggie. One freaking week later, it is in Europe.... in Italy mostly, but it was affecting a lot of people.... Kay. No biggie. I was sure they’d find answers or at least make an effort to stop this. NOPE. Within 3 weeks, it reached America, killed many more people, and is now labeled a global pandemic.... after the end of February,it was merely an emergency.... even though it had apparently been around since December. Like wtf, people? Why did this agreement take so long? Where was the effort to stop people from dying? Or to contain it so it at least didn’t become this bad? Now, 3 months into our new year, the world is pretty much locking down temporarily. A lockdown doesn’t seem like a big deal right? Wrong. like the roaring 20’s, we now have a plague wiping people out... but now we also face another crisis in lockdown.... the economy,after a rough recovery from a previous recession, we are now facing another one. Many are being laid off due to the virus and lockdown. The medical system has been exposed as being pretty fucked up, and on top of all this, the entertainment industry is declining. It is affecting all forms... operas, plays, movie theaters, sports, Broadway, and also TOURING BANDS AND INDIE BANDS. Bands everywhere are canceling or postponing tours due to travel restrictions and to stop the spread of the virus... but this hurts them. Why? When a band goes on tour, they have to pay for a lot of stuff. Some of these things include hotels, food, booking venues, and other expenses along the way that come up. A lot of the band do this out of their pockets or are compensated temporarily by a record company that will pay off the bulk, but then the band sometimes has to reimburse the costs by making ticket sales/ album sales/ merch sales. So yes.... in the end, some bands are most likely going to go into debt from this shutdown of the world. And the travel industry will also fail, as many travel for tours and for work... And now, lockdowns are also preventing some bands from meeting in person for rehearsals and recording. EVERYTHING HAS GONE TO SHIT. Many bands I follow are all putting up Gofundme and Kickstarter campaigns to gain their funds back and plan for better tours... but in these tough times, it may be very difficult to recover. Especially the indie bands around the world.... mine included, as we were just about to start on album production to get things moving along for us. It is a real shame. Alot of my favorite artists are even saying their bands could disband from this.. My band already had to push back a lot. And I did too. But now ALL my solo music video shoot, Band shoots, and releases have to be postponed thanks to regulations in this time. So what now? What do we do?
I am going to go on a limb here. As the situation gets worse, more and more panic buying and fighting and even RACISM are popping up everywhere. During these trying times of seeing people freaking out, fight over insignificant things such as toilet paper, and seeing people be racist toward a group of people who are NOT to blame for any of this, some of us may be wondering how long our sanity will last. Mine personally left eons ago. Before any of this bullshit started happening. But during times like these, we have no choice but to turn to ARTISTS to keep us sane. Whom? ARTISTS. The very people who face turmoil right now from their tour cancellations, performance cancellations, and other forms of being screwed over financially. YEAH. Those People. Aart costs money. Art is crucial for humanity to keep themselves busy and sane during times like these. But what happens when they are unable to create? What will happen when new art cannot surface and we cannot find ways to entertain ourselves? Welp, for one thing, The frikin Purge may start happening and people may start attacking each other on the streets to get supplies.... Especially since TP is having a shortage right now and people keep bulk buying to sell it online for 10x the price. (Bunch of worthless shits making money off people's fear!)
Wanna know how the hell you can help keep art in our world? Wanna knmow how you can prevent the Artpocalypse? Support your artists. Support them. Whether it is sacrificing a little money to back their Gofundme/ Kickstarter campaigns, to buy a shirt or other merch piece, or just frikin watching their youtube/ Spotify content and sharing the shit out of it. Every little bit will help. Support their patreons. Support theiur endeavors to recover. Reassure them. Write to them. Love them, guys. Love your artists. Because someday they may not be here anymore and it will be because they were forced to quit doing the thing they loved. Artists create shit to make YOU happy. They create to spread THEIR message and love to you all. And you can help without having to spend a lot of money. Just streaming them and sharing them on any streaming platform will help them out of this hole. (Me included). Please, everyone. Support us artists in our time of need. My band was about to start producing our album when this crisis hit. Now we are on lockdown and most likely unable to meet often. We want to give you the best content we can. So I reopened my Patreon account to include exclusive content (including unpublished videos and music), livestreams, behind the scenes for Sun Lay Silent, early acces to our content, and the ability to provide feedback and vote on what we should do. More details are explained on my page. If you want to help my guys and I make you an AMAZING first album, this is the best way to help. I promise it won't pout a dent in your finances either, as we get it. We know money is really hard to come by right now for everyone. Streaming our content and mine on Youtube and streaming my Spotify content also really helps. Sharing too. If you choose to support our endeavor, we will be endebted to you always! Every bit will be helping SLS!
Stay strong everyone... And remember, We are in this together! We love you!
Now What can we do about this lockdown thing?
I will personally be hosting livestreams (both hangouts and gaming), hangouts, karaoke, and watch parties so that we can all hang out and entertain each other. I am hoping to get Netflix party installed so that We can watch some good movies together! I also want to mention a few ways you can entertain yourself as well besides hanging with me.
Things to do during lockdown:
1. Bake/ Cook
Comfort food is essential during this time. so make something good.... but if your food supply is low, be careful not to overdo it. Cookies and cake are not too hard to make from scratch. If you have veggies, brew a stew. They can hold up a long time. Food is essential! Eat!
2. Draw/ Paint/ Create
It doesn't hurt to learn something new. The internet has all sorts of tutorials that you can use to learn something new. doesn't hurt to try to learn something creative to keep you occupied. who knows? It may even turn into a hobby! This is actually how i became a musician. Being an introvert has its advantages!
3. Binge watch shows/ Watch Parties
This is the time every introvert has been waiting for. A chance to binge watch all their favorites without worry about time. You have all the time in the world in this time, so why not get into a new tv show!? Netflix has a new thing where you can watch movies with friends in real time and chat! it is called Netflix Party.Get it! you won't regret it! You'll stay connected to your friends and loved ones while watching a movie together!
4. Clean your house.
Chores fucking suck. But this is the time to clean up your place a bit. Maybe make rearrangements that you have been wanting to make or see what you can do to reorganize some stuff. I recently just did some spring cleaning and managed to clear out 2 bags full of clothes i don't use anymore. Now is the time to get this overwith! Ya know?
5. Skype loved ones.
For fucks sake, guys. I cannot emphasize this more. Check in on your family and friends. Especially those at risk right now and cannot leave. They are probably bored out of their fucking minds right now and want company. Skype is a great way to talk to your loved ones. So do it once in a while at least to see how they're holding up!
6. Collaborate with other creators
Chances are, they are just as bored as you are right now. Reach out to your fellow creators. See what they have planned.
7. Play some video games you haven't in awhile
Chances ar that you have some old games laying around somewhere in your home that you have not touched. Or new ones you have not had much time for. Well guess what, the time is NOW. Get to it. Beat Ocarina of Time or Kingdom Hearts again. Catch Pokemon! Become the High King of Skyrim! Die a billion times in Dark Souls or Bloodbourne and rage quit. Do something! Play some WOW or LoL.Chances are this can last awhile, so now is the time! And beating the shit out of bad guys feels good!
8. Write letters to your friends.
Writing letters is wonderful. It is an alternative to Facebook Messaging. But there is always some part of my that loves the handwritten letter. It feels like there is a lot more love and thought in them. So send a letter to a pen pal or loved one. Chances are they'll appreciate the effort.
9. Read
Self explanatory. Reading is a great way to pass time. read comics, articles, books, novels. HECK write your own! It is a great way to kill time!
There is so much more you can do besides these things
During the lockdown, there is a lot you can do. But these are the best choices in my opinion. What else can you do in these times? Let me know in the comments! That's all I have to say for now, though! Stay safe, Wash Your Hands, and Stay the fuck home. Love you all! Hopefully everything goes back to normal soon!
- ArwenStarsong
sup,creeps? I'm baaaack!
Hopefully this blog finds you all doing well! I know y'all probably could give less of a fuck what has been happening since I went AWOL on you all.
LET ME FUCKING TELL YOU. SHIT HAS REALLY HIT THE FAN! I am currently in the creative process. The Sun Lay Silent debut album is now officially starting production. As of 2 weeks ago, Mark and I have been busting our balls trying to write some sick riffs and put them together into songs. The album will have 13-14 songs on it and we currently have 6.... and we are not even done yet. There is also the fact that I have been working on my 2nd solo single, which I actually just received the final cut for TODAY. and there will be a music video filmed for it and everything. Would like to let ya'll know that if you join my email list, you all get it early! So if you want in on that shit, FUCKING SIGN UP FOR MY EMAIL LIST! I am leaving a contact form for you to do so.
Mmmmmmkay. SO ANYWAYS! Mark and I have been busting our balls and it seems it may be a LOOOOONG ways before we get content out to you guys, on top of my having to plan a full solo music video and solo covers and sound tracking as well. How the fuck do you stay motivated while all this shit is piling up on your plate? Well, here are some ways I keep myself motivated in these trying and overwhelming times!
1. Keep your head in the clouds.
Byou read that right. Keep your head in the clouds.
"But Arwen. What the actual fuck do you mean?" Keeping your head in the clouds means you are daydreaming. Why daydream? Because if you desire something enough, eventually it will fall into your hands. "But Arwen, what the hell do you mean it will fall in my hands?" I mean the power of attraction you big dummy! If you desire something enough and you work for it, eventually it happens. Daydreaming of things you can do is also a way you can come up with ideas. I do this shit literally all the time! This is how I have come up with ideas, music, and also how I made a few video ideas come to life. I also use this to keep myself motivated and remember that what I daydream about is what I am striving to achieve. NEVER STOP DAYDREAMING. Make it your daily mantra to daydream a little. IT GIVES YOU HOPE. 2. Take A break, god dammit.
Getting writer's block or feel drained? Then you're obviously working yourself into madness and will descend into it unless you take a goddamn break. Make like a kit kat and give yourself a break. This entails you STEPPING AWAY FROM YOUR WORK STATION and DOING SOMETHING THAT IS NOT YOUR WORK. Get some sunlight, you damn vampire. Get some fucking social time before you turn into a hermit and people think you died or something. Getting out once in a while fuels your batteries and lets the creative juices flow. I, myself, am fucking TERRIBLE at taking breaks. So what happens when you don't?
A few things actually. 1. You will die alone, sad, and on the shitter. NOT a good way to go... Or you'll just be lonely and sad, therefore descending slowly into madness. 2. you'll probably forget to do things like eat or take a shower. 3. You can end up working yourself sick, therefore making yourself too sick to even continue your work. Which, knowing your dumb ass (and mine) you'll continue anyway till you keel over into a sad sack of sickness.... or you'll forget to take your meds and end up get more sick, which can hospitalize you and impede even worse in your work. 4. As mentioned above, you'll most likely forget to feed yourself or do daily things like take a shower, brush your teeth, or even call your mother (who most likely doesn't give a shit where you are.... but it doesn't hurt to check.) This can lead to you looking AND feeling like a pile of used chonies.... just like the ones you are currently wearing. Ew.... FOR GOD'S SAKE PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO SHOWER AT LEAST.... In conclusion? Breaktime is essential to hold your feeble existence and sanity together. 3. During your breaks, write down your ideas
If somehow while you are taking your much needed break, you come up with something, jot that shit down into a notebook. I personally carry a black notebook in my purse and in this notebook, I write every single idea I come up with when I am not at a piano or my desk. So that way I have a reference to look back on when I do finally get back to my work. Sometimes when you recharge, your brain will catch up. So ALWAYS carry a small notebook and pen with you. Just in case. New ideas means now motivation to continue what you are doing and when you are writing your album, it is always good to have a load of ideas at hand to go off of. ESPECIALLY if the album is your debut album! THE FIRST ALBUM IS ALWAYS THE HARDEST ALBUM TO WRITE. ESPECIALLY IN A BAND THAT IS BARELY BECOMING A THING.
4. Meet with your band mates once or twice a week during the writing process.
Never forget to acknowledge that the partners you work with are probably just as drained as you are. You're all in this shit together. So when you are all writing together, make it more frequent during the time you are working on your album. And never forget to ask your mates how the process is making them feel. It gives you a chance to get to know each other a lot better and to also hear their ideas and opinions on how everything is going down. Heckm try meeting outside of practice as well. Sometimes, my mates and I go to local shows and concerts together. We recently saw Dragonforce together and this show gave us a TON of ideas on what we could do with our music. It helped us come up with one of our new songs we are currently working on as well!
5. Go For a walk or something
This one goes along with the taking a break thing. GET SOME GOD DAMN SUNLIGHT. You need it to not only nourish and replenish your body (as agonizing our smoldering ball of fire and gas is) and to recharge your batteries. Taking a walk on a nice day can help you get creative in many ways. Being one with nature in any way, shape, and form is always soothing and will help that wrinkly thing in your head to relax and also generate future plans of destruction to mankind.... I mean creativity ...
6. Eat Breakfast. for fuck's sake.
"But, Arwen. This should already be a known thing."
WELL NO SHIT, SHERLOCK.
It is a given that you should always be sure to eat breakfast at least before you go on a looooooong ass day of creating music. Why? Studies have shown that eating breakfast can really make the ideas flow. Google that shit. I am not even kidding. This is a blog about fucking common sense and a music career. Not about stats, but I advise you. GOOGLE THAT SHIT. The brain is more energized and awake after eating a good meal in the morning. Especially after eating something like Bacon and eggs (If you're vegan, try something like tofu and pepper veggie burritos. It is fucking AWESOME.) This gives you that morning boost. I do not suggest a morning cup of coffee though. drinking coffee too early in the day can actually give you a headache. I suggest drinking coffee around lunch or a little before to open things up a bit and let that blood flow from the caffeine. :). Again, if you think I am wrong, ask Google. Cause what the fuck do I know? With my almost getting my degree in Forensic Pathology (Before I gave that bullshit up to pursue my dream and getting a degree in acting instead.) and reading a shit ton of shit on the internet. 7. Drink water. for fuck's sake....
This one should be obvious for obvious reasons. Water makes up 71% of our planet (it used to be 75% but since global warming and all, we lost 4 %. way to go, humanity...) and about 60% of our bodies. YEAH. FRIKIN 60. You're a walking sac of water and dust. That's humanity in general... except many are just sacks of shit as well as water and dust. And dust is what you will become if you do not drink at least a few glasses of water a day. Drink at least 3 or 4 glasses if you can. Trust me when I say, not only does it keep you energized, it helps keep your puny brain a functioning one. :). So if you're thinking about drinking like 80 cups of coffee so that you pull an all nighter, think again and grab some good ol' H2O instead. :).
8. practice and persist
"WELL NO SHIT, ARWEN. ALL MUSICIANS SHOULD"
Well, my friends, you'll be surprised how many musicians slack off immensely in this area. YES. practice and maintain your instruments as much as you can. You cannot be a musician and never practice a day for it. You gotta constantly be with it and know your instrument inside and out. Fuck, dude. You guys have no idea how fucking lazy a lot of musicians have become over the years. I see many who work hard, but also some who are extremely big headed and lazy! Some will go smoke a bowl then fucking complain about how they "never achieved their careers" or how they think that certain musicians in their local scene who have success "don't deserve a damn bit of it" or "the scene is a scam" or "I deserve the fame. Why can't we find fnas?" Some of these motherfuckers always go around to other up and coming artists and bands (who are most likely in the same boat as they are) and try to "educate" them on how to further their careers and constantly say how awesome their band is. And they then proceed to spam the shit out of you for ticket sales so they can just get rid of the tickets they have. Some even go as further lower than that in many ways. But all I can say is that you should pay no heed to people who constantly try to explain to you that you should do this, this, and this for your career when they constantly complain about how the scene is jipping them. ESPECIALLY if they themselves have not had success. Success comes to those who work hard and never give up. You gotta really want it. And Shit, if you practice the hell out of your instrument and keep putting yourself out there, eventually you will be heard! You just have to persist! And this brings us to number 9. 9. fuck the haters.
I simply CANNOT say this enough. Fuck the haters. Let them fuel your fire. Use their shitty comments to motivate yourself to become a better musician. This applies to local haters, trolls on the internet, and also to that family member who has a fucking nickel in their ass and cannot stand that you're a musician and have a bit more of a chance of success than they do. Fuck. The. Haters. You're better than them. Believing every word they say can lead you down a path to destruction. Self doubt is the destroyer of music careers and the poison that feeds shit like depression or writers block. Don't let their shit ruin yours. Those same haters will also be listening to your music an clicking your videos and watching them JUST TO HATE ON THEM. I get this shit every day now. It is very funny because little do they know that their viewership/ stream/ commentary on my content COUNTS TO MY FAVOR. And it will do you favors as well. See, the way it works is that the more people watch and comment your content, the more it is recommended to others EVEN IF THEY HATED IT. It is quite funny! So use this as an advantage!
10. treat yourself
Another thing I cannot stress enough. TREAT YOURSELF FOR YOUR HARD WORK. This one is obvious as hell. If you're over here busting your ass to get your content out there and you feel the need to treat yourself to keep motivated, GO ON AHEAD. Don't go ape shit, but do get yourself something nice.
Recently or my hard work, I went and purchased my FIRST customized stage dress that is one of a kind! It is coming in In a few weeks and I am beyond thrilled! I will also be wearing it in the first Sun Lay Silent music video and for a photo shoot as well! Hoping to show you all soon! Getting yourself something as a reward for your hard work will keep the fires burning! So never forget that above all else, treat yourself! So what's the take awaty from this blog?
Never forget. You matter above all else. As much as your mates and your music does, you gotta keep yourself invigorated and take care of yourself in any way you can. Spend time with loved ones, get fresh air... Do SOMETHING to keep your sanity in the trying times of creating an album. It can get really really tough. In the end, your dedication and hard work WILL pay off. Even if you do not go viral or get that fan base you needed. There is still the fact that YOU CREATED THIS AMAZING THING and in the end, that make you a winner!
On that note, I bid you farewell! Keep it metal, my friends. And don't forget to keep up to date on my insta and SLS's insta on how the process is going!- ArwenStarsong
greetings, metalheads! I am finally back after a long time away from my website! i hope you didnt miss me too much! ;)
Today I wanted to go over why it is i have been busy lately. the reason why is actually a topic i have been meaning to discuss on this blog. i may write more parts to this at a later time as i keep having the experiences, but i wanted to get a few things off my chest and to also express that a lot is starting to happen on my end that will be coming to you all very soon. so, arwen? what is it that has your nickers tied in a knot so much that you once again neglect that blog about dead rock stars you were supposed to publish 3 months ago? well, as you all may be aware, we are almost halfway thru the year at this point. we are at the hilltop of 2019 and from here it all goes downhill. if you want the schpeel straight to the point, scroll past the american horror story gif. :)
as you all may be experiencing, you may be looking back at your to do list for the year and you may be wondering why the fuck you have not attempted anything or gotten anything done. you lost that diet kick, missed that goal by an inch, or possibly may have forgotten completely.
that is where i find myself these days. i made myself a specific list of goals for 2019 about november of last year after the release of my single. -to upgrade my software for video editing -to create the next ep and the next solo single -to start a band -to get to 600 youtube subscribers by the end of 2019. -to lose weight and keep it off. -to learn hurdy gurdy and violin a lot better happy to tell ya, i have been keeping up all of this except a couple, but even then i am trying my best to make sure i at least get a little bit of results... As of late i have been making it a point to upgrade all the software i have had, which is coming at a price, but i have a new video editing software that i was suggested by a friend. i release the first video i made with it in a couple of days. :)
I AM DRIFTING BETWEEN PROJECTS AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME. I HAVE MY SOLO YOUTUBE CHANNEL THAT I HAVE STILL BEEN MAKING CONTENT FOR AND I ALSO STARTED A BAND CALLED SUN LAY SILENT THAT IS CURRENTLY WORKING ON THE FIRST RELEASES AND A COUPLE OF COVER SONGS TO PUT UP ON OUR YOUTUBE. SO WHEN IT COMES TO THE CREATION OF MORE MUSIC AND VIDEOS, THAT IS DEFINITELY HAPPENING, THOUGH IT IS SLOW, AS I AM WORKING, SAVING MONEY, AND UPGRADING MY SETUPS SO THE BAND AND MY SOLO WORK CAN RELEASE TOP QUALITY CONTENT. ALL OUR BAND NEEDS IS THE REST OF OUR MEMBERS, BUT WE ARE WRITING NONETHELESS. :)
AS FAR AS THE WEIGHT LOSS, I HAVE BEEN PRETTY SICK ALL YEAR, SO WORKING OUT IS CHALLENGING. BUT I AM STILL MAKING HEALTHIER CHOICES AS FAR AS FOOD, SO I AM AT LEAST NOT GAINING WEIGHT. BUT I AM GETTING MYSELF TAKEN CARE OF, WHICH IS GREAT. :) I HAVE BEEN FEELING A LOT BETTER LATELY. MAY NEED A SURGERY OR 2, BUT AFTER THAT PAIN, I WILL BE 100%AGAIN! AS FAR AS MY VIOLIN AND HURDY GURDY ENDEAVOR, MY HURDY GURDY HAS BEEN BROKEN FOR MONTHS AT THIS POINT AND THE TOOLS I NEED TO REPAIR IT ARE STILL BEING WORKED ON. I AM HOPING TO GET IT FIXED SOON BECAUSE THE BAND NEEDS IT FOR SOME OF THE MUSIC WE ARE CURRENTLY WRITING.
so what is my point in writing this rambling today?
i wanna talk to you guys about living the life of a musician. one that is not some big rockstar. one that does not tour. one that is starting things up, but taking the time to grow... so, as far as this goes, there is a process to it. as i mentioned above in explaining if i have met some of my goals yet, that is one of the points of creating content. there is a list of steps to take to create and manage your time properly. i am gonna give rough (and not that detailed) instructions on how it is i have been doing my routines to complete the process of content creation. let me be one of millions of other content creators to tell you that creating content is never easy. it is a hard journey. you will be tired as fuck. you will probably get sick. you will be made fun of, work a shitty job while finding time to continue making your content, face haters and internet trolls, and somehow you will make a masterpiece. so all that in a nutshell: The Process of Creating
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The hurdy gurdy is basically a wheel fiddle and is thought to have originated from the fiddle in either Europe or the Middle east. It was first mentioned in the 9th century as a typical instrument in the Byzantine Empire. One of the early forms was called an organistrum, which kinda looks like a Nykellharpa with a crank and it was played by 2 people. This instrument has one melody string and 2 drones. One guy turned the crank while the other pulled the keys upward. Due to its size, you could imagine how hard this thing was to play! Check out these 2 guys in the picture playing it. THIS IS THE DEFINITION OF SWAG.
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However, because of both the size and the difficulty of pulling the keys, only slow tunes could be played on it... YAWN... This organistrum was later made into a smaller version to be played by 1 player so that the player can both turn the crank AND work the keys. This model was later replaced by the French symphonia, which was a smaller box shaped version of our now hurdy gurdy. The symphonia was the first to have the keys pushable from beneath, WHICH WAS SOOOO MUCH EASIER! Around the Renaissance era, the hurdy became more widely known and so was the bagpipe. This was around the time that the buzzing bridges were added in! This gives the gurdy its spice :P. haha! It was also around this time that the design of the hurdy gurdy changed dramatically, making the body guitar shaped again and having more modifications. After the 17th century, musical tastes became more demanding, so the hurdy gurdy was pushed away as a "peasant's lyre", though a few composer actually wrote music for the gurdy. One who is really famous for his gurdy compositions is Nicolas Chedeville. During this time as well, the gurdy became more wide spread and was seen in Central Europe. Musicians (who were often blind) known as the Lirniky played this or similar instruments around the Baroque period. They were categorized as beggars and were often mistreated TERRIBLY for playing in the streets (until 1902 when someone finally put a stop to the persecution). in 1968, the hurdy gurdy came about in a new way in a song called The Hurdy Gurdy Man which was sung by Donavan. The song did not use one, but made references to it. Today, it is wideley used in folk music and also to create PIRATE AND FOLK METAL. Which are 2 of my favorite genres ;). BUT ENOUGH ABOUT THE HISTORY. I WANNA TELL YOU ALL ABOUT MY BABY!!!
I AM A PROUD MOTHER OF A HURDY GURDY. :P
So I have played this thang for a year now and I was inspired to do so by the lovely Anna Murphy, who used to play the hurdy gurdy for Eluveitie and now plays for Cellar Darling. But As I went on the journey to learn what the hell this instrument is about, I experienced many things. Like with a child, raising your gurdy can be a labor. But it is a labor of love. You WILL experience a lot. You'll mostly get mad at it. BUT. IT IT WORTH IT.
The Top 10 Gurdist Problems:
1. THERE WILL BE COTTON. EVERYWHERE.
There will be SO. MUCH. COTTON. So much that it is gonna look like a snowstorm hit your work area. It will also stick to you. Which will make people question what you are doing to get so much shit on you. It is a bummer and can flare up your allergies sometimes. But if you don't have cotton LITERALLY EVERYWHERE, it means you're not changing it out correctly. XD
2. FUCK THE TANGENTS.
All players know this one. when one of the tangents on your melody strings is off, your notes will sound warbly. The sound is indescribable, really, but when you hear it, YOU FUCKING KNOW. And you instantly wanna flip a table because once you adjust one tangent, you have to check on the welfare of the others because if one tangent is even a centimeter from the right position, you will get a flat or sharp note. It is a MESS.
3. ROSIN DUST. DON'T SNORT IT.
PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DO NOT SNORT ROSIN DUST. This shit is not made of materials you should be snorting and doing so can either lead to burning or to being sick. I cannot say this enough. I say this because I ACCIDENTALLY (I promise) inhaled it and the experience WAS NOT FUN.
4. TOOLS WEAR OFF TOO FAST. GOD DAMMIT.
You need to get yourself special tools to handle the small parts. This includes a small magnetic screwdriver. Thing is about those is that they also break easily, which can be dangerous. It can also strip your tangent screws clean so you cannot make adjustments. This is why I has 2 months of not playing my gurdy. TT3TT...
5. Having sausage fingers can be a downfall.
If you have giant hands, repairs can be a challenge. Like changing your strings or fixing your tangents. You have to go about literally EVERYTHING very carefully! Working with tools with large hands and a very delicate process is never easy.
6. There is no room for error.
There isn't and if you think there is, quit telling yourself that. EVERYTHING about the hurdy gurdy is precise. From the make of it down to how hard you can press a key. Each gurdy has a different personality. Some gurdies require harder key presses to make the notes more crisp while others you barely touch.
7. HURDY GURDIES HATE THE WEATHER.
That's right. Even down to the weather. Weather changes make the gurdy swell, as most are made with wood to create the right resonant sound of a gurdy. This can be tricky when you travel for a tour or you live in a area like California where the weather cannot make up its fucking mind. This also causes the hurdy gurdy to not be able to make up its mind and it may sound like dying whales until it settles.
8. Traveling is hard.
This instrument is very high maintenance and sometimes even how you carry it while traveling can affect the quality of the sound (combined with the weather changes above). So on a journey with it, you always have to come with a separate bag JUST FOR THE TOOLS and also request you carry it as a carry on ON YOUR LAP because airlines are NOT merciful to instruments. I always hear sad stories of the horrors of traveling with instruments and how poorly people treat them in airports.
9. PEOPLE WILL QUESTION YOU. ALL. THE. TIME.
What is that thing? Why is it so loud? Can you lower the volume on that thing? It is a hurdy gurdy. It is loud because it is a noise making apparatus. And NO, YOU CANNOT LOWER THE VOLUME ON THE THING (You can adjust the string pressure, which does slightly lower the volume, but this feature should only be used by advanced players. and even then, it only SLIGHTLY works). You will instantly wanna become anti social because people will NOT leave you alone about this. You will then have to explain like 15 times how the thing works then tell them no they cannot touch it and also NO YOU CANNOT LOWER THE VOLUME ON IT (unless you can take the wheel pressure off. some models do that.) After awhile IT GETS OLD.
10. YES THEY ARE EXPENSIVE EVEN AFTER THE EXPENSE OF PAYING FOR IT.
You do have to set money aside for the hurdy gurdy. This is a hand made instrument and sometimes, as with ALL things, things break. So you have to buy tools to fix it or pay for shipping costs to be sure to get it repaired. I personally have shipped mine out once and it was expensive so I learned how to fix it myself. The instrument can start of at 1200 bucks depending on the maker, the features of your instrument, and how you get it shipped. My model was about 3700 something bucks and about another 200 to ship. If you want something with all the bells and whistles, it can REALLY add up. Makers also charge different prices depending on the materials used. Check out my vlog below about mine!
Is this instrument for you?
There are only 5 questions you need to ask yourself before you get one of these.
- Do you have the patience to tinker A LOT?
- Do you already have another stringed instrument?
- Do you live near a luthier (maker)?
- Do you at least have a SMALL amount of musical knowledge?
- Can you do your research to learn it?
Well guys, I'm going to bed before I fall asleep on my keyboard again. Hoping this post doesnt scare you from the gurdy. Like I said, It is a wonderful instrument. Just frustrating. But it is worth every minute of the time you spend on it!
I'll see you all later and as I always say, Keep it METAL!!!
-ArwenStarsong
DO YOU THINK THIS IS A GAME???
Hello everyone! I'm ArwenStarsong and I am back with another nonsensical rambling about the amazing adventures of being a musician that is COMPLETELY solo.
THAT IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT... I am gonna set things straight on how it really is to be trying to make a music career out of nothing but your own creativity, blood, sweat, tears, and finances.
People seem to have this idea that many musicians who go solo have it easy. They seem to have this false notion that they get to have all the fun, get all the money, and they get places a lot faster than with a band... well let me be the one to tell you first hand that being solo and how you have it depends on many factors on the end of the artist. Here is a list of them...
- There is a LARGE dependance of your circumstances. Such as the area where you were born in or grew up in, the places you have been, the friends you've made, the wealth you were born with... ALL these play a factor on how you make it as far as your music goes.
- Age. Age is literally everything. if you start off REALLY young and put a ton of passion and time into making yourself better at your art, you get further with it. It DOES NOT happen overnight. Take me for example. I HAVE BEEN AT THIS 10 YEARS. and I am still growing out of the first hole of getting to the scene...
- As I have said before, friendships are a HUGE factor. Here's why. Friends have friends and those friends have friends and if friends are good to you and talk you up to people that they happen to know who may like your art or are in the industry, there is a fighting chance that you can get in on the action. Friends can also be potential band mates if they are into the same thing you are. You just have to find dedicated friends who are honest and loyal. My brother, David is a perfect example. He found a group of friends and formed a band with them. They started playing more gigs and ended up opening for Abigail Williams, but then that fell down the tubes when the friendship he had died. After that, he just couldn't find people he could trust. WHICH BRINGS US TO THE NEXT FACTOR...
- LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION. Being in an area where it is boring or the scene is not really popping (my hometown being the perfect example of this) can really drive a dagger into your career. Not only that, being inn an environment where you're surrounded by certain types of people can make things toxic and THAT is a HUUUUGE nono!!!
- MONEY TALKS. this one is FREAKING SERIOUS. Over my 10 years of being a musician, my family has spent HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of dollars. I have bought a 4000 dollar hurdy gurdy, my parents recently bought me a 3000 dollar computer so I can create better content, I also was given a 200 dollar violin for Christmas, spent 1000 on 2 cameras (one of which BROKE.... which is why I DO NOT recommend GO PRO), spent 120 on a performance mic and another 100 on wires for performance, my parents gifted me a 300 dollar mic and 2000 dollar keybaord with recording capabilities to make my music on, plugins for my music programs are pricey.... I also pay 40+ dollars a month to promote videos when I feel the need. And this is not even EVERYTHING I have bought or done to make the content I post. I also have hundreds of thousands of dollars more to plan including another 12,000 to pay my producer to make my EP with me and also plan photoshoots, travel for video shoots, etc... It is a PRICEY business.
See what I mean? Now that you have a picture of what that is like, we can move on the actual experience of it using a series of comparison gifs and explaining the reasons.
EXPERIENCE 1- GETTING IDEAS LATE AT NIGHT
HERE IS WHY:
There is so little time when it comes to being a solo artist. Depending on the factors listed above, you can either be REALLY good at managing your time and be productive during your day. Or you can be the image on the right.... Yeah... This is the reality of not having enough time for you. Of being pulled in different directions in your life and still trying to fit in time to create and practice your art. It can make for many sleepless nights and be bad for your health. It is overwhelming at times and then sometimes from being so occupied, you come up with something AMAZING.... but cannot write it down or play it because the rest of your family is asleep... So you stay up ALL. NIGHT... staring at your ceiling and wishing the sandman would knock your stupid ass out....
EXPERIENCE 2- Writer's Block
There is no in between when you're a solo musician
Much like the previous thing I mentioned but this is the opposite... This is the I GOT NO IDEAS BECAUSE I AM OVERWHELEMED... Henceforth the left right image. You are either Kermit or Spongebob in this case. Normally if you're solo, it can be very challenging to come up with ideas on your own... And then You need to make time to promote and do all the other things it takes... shooting videos, photos, artwork, etc... It can be hard on your mental health when you're overworked, but this is the life of someone going about it alone without the wealth or resources. AND BLOCK SOMETIMES CAN BE DEADLY....
Whatever you do to get by, just don't forget your name.... (hah....) Writer's block can sometimes be permanent so if you ever suffer a block, try writing down your feelings/ journaling your ideas as random thoughts pop in your head. It helps a lot!
EXPERIENCE 3- MONEY MONEY MONEY
EXPECTATION |
REALITY |
Most likely if you're solo, you'll be broke a lot of the time unless you already have a lot of money, a huge amount of listeners/ audience, or a supportive family/ friend group.
Money is one of the most major challenges solo artists come by. Crowdfunding for projects can be a challenge unless they have a HUGE following and that in itself is very hard to come by (Because people do not usually take a solo artist seriously unless they are in a specific genre or have the looks to match...). Saving money can be tricky. Balancing a day job, paying bills, and also paying for the health of your music can get pricey. Most of the time there won't be money to spare. Henceforth why everyone asks up and down for it in the music industry. With money you can make better content, but then not have enough to eat sometimes.... There are many things a musican in particular has to pay for....
- Lessons (If you're even able to fit it into your schedule)
-Rent for the Venue a gig is held in
-Fees for studio musicians/ band members (For solo artists, this is a must. Because as much as one can be a jack of all trades, it does not mean they have mastered EVERYTHING.)
-Distribution fees (both physical and digital)
-Making Merch (YES. MAKING MERCH COSTS MONEY!)
-Booking a performance/ gig (booking agents. nuff said.)
-Instruments/ Instrument Maintenance (If your instrument breaks or needs a repair, you gotta pay for it)
-Music Production (Recording, Mixing, Mastering. ALL ARE SEPERATE FACTORS IN THIS CATEGORY)
-Photo/ Video Shoots AND EDITING THAT COMES WITH IT.
-Equipment for Performance and backup equipment in case that equipment breaks.
-Promotion Costs (Radio Spins, Facebook Ads, Youtube Ads, Google Ads in general)
-Running a Website (Pro domain costs 12/ year and also has fees added to whichever site you choose to make your website.)
-Clothes (to look the part)
-Bills for living
-Food
-Management (If you somehow manage to get someone to talk to you. This is a long shot most of the time because to even get a hold of someone you need to network a LOT)
-Networking (This means going to shows and meeting others who do the same thing you do.)
This ALL comes down to how you manage your money and what you do to save. Journaling/ planning your expenses can make a HUGE difference! And hopefully by reading the text above you get an idea as to why bands and solo artists ask for money. IT IS BECAUSE MOST OF US ARE STRUGGLING TO MAKE END'S MEET AND WE WANNA GET OUR ASSES OFF THE GROUND.
- Lessons (If you're even able to fit it into your schedule)
-Rent for the Venue a gig is held in
-Fees for studio musicians/ band members (For solo artists, this is a must. Because as much as one can be a jack of all trades, it does not mean they have mastered EVERYTHING.)
-Distribution fees (both physical and digital)
-Making Merch (YES. MAKING MERCH COSTS MONEY!)
-Booking a performance/ gig (booking agents. nuff said.)
-Instruments/ Instrument Maintenance (If your instrument breaks or needs a repair, you gotta pay for it)
-Music Production (Recording, Mixing, Mastering. ALL ARE SEPERATE FACTORS IN THIS CATEGORY)
-Photo/ Video Shoots AND EDITING THAT COMES WITH IT.
-Equipment for Performance and backup equipment in case that equipment breaks.
-Promotion Costs (Radio Spins, Facebook Ads, Youtube Ads, Google Ads in general)
-Running a Website (Pro domain costs 12/ year and also has fees added to whichever site you choose to make your website.)
-Clothes (to look the part)
-Bills for living
-Food
-Management (If you somehow manage to get someone to talk to you. This is a long shot most of the time because to even get a hold of someone you need to network a LOT)
-Networking (This means going to shows and meeting others who do the same thing you do.)
This ALL comes down to how you manage your money and what you do to save. Journaling/ planning your expenses can make a HUGE difference! And hopefully by reading the text above you get an idea as to why bands and solo artists ask for money. IT IS BECAUSE MOST OF US ARE STRUGGLING TO MAKE END'S MEET AND WE WANNA GET OUR ASSES OFF THE GROUND.
Experience 4- Practicing
Expectation |
Reality
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The reality of the matter is that making time to practice gets to be a DESPERATE endeavor.
Being a solo musician means you put your mind and your heart and sometimes (if you're obsessed enough) YOUR SOUL into practicing to better your craft. Practice is what makes the musician do what they do. sometimes when you do it all on your own, it can be very VERY challenging to make the time for practice, so you find time to do it when you have alone time or even during business meetings. Or like me.... where you sing in car karaoke like crazy and people stare at you like you're tweaking. Either way, practicing is the foundation of the musician and when you're solo, making time for it is ESSENTIAL. I suggest giving yourself at LEAST 1 hour twice a week or more to make yourself have time for everything else.
Experience 5- Time Management
People think that being a solo artist gives you all the time in the world to do everything you need to because you are your own boss. As much as you can be your own boss, the reality is not what one would think/ realize. Going solo is a challenge, seeing as you also have to be a time management wizard. I have mentioned this many times in this blog already, but it is probably the most important thing out of all the experiences I am sharing. Being by yourself means you do EVERYTHING. LITERALLY EVERYTHING. You're the artist. So you write the music, write the lyrics, spend weeks at a time making the instrumental you're writing from scratch (which entitles you REHEARSE the parts you're gonna make), have to make time to rehearse the lyrics/ vocal parts, recording can take up to a month depending on what else you have going on in your life. Then to get quality material, you have to hire a person to help you and working with said person can eat up at least 2 weeks of your time to make one of your songs happen. ONE SONG. There is also having to keep up your little youtube channel by posting at least 2 videos a month. Which also takes up 3 or 4 days of your time to record vocals/ an instrumental then shoot a mini video and editing all night a few nights in a row. Then there is the other side, which is shooting a video for your release, talking about your release, trying to become a social network pro all on your own, making money by working a job so you can pay to promote yourself, saving money for a video shoot, which can take another couple of weeks depending on what you're doing. There's also waiting for whomever you hire to shoot your video to finish your video edits. During this time, you may wanna make doctor appointments and get your adult shit done so your health and bills are also kept in check. They say that in order to have a life you must sacrifice something. For solo musicians, that thing is definitely SLEEP.... which is essential for your health, but who am I to talk??? (I'm dying guys. I am writing this for you after a 12 hour crash from 3 days in a row of not sleeping...) With 24 hours in a day and 7 days in a week, it gets literally IMPOSSIBLE to fit music in sometimes. Henceforth why I suggest using any days off work to focus on your artistic endeavors. Even that little bit of time can really make a difference.
this is a visual representation of how i manage my time... It has become my mantra. lol
Experience 6- When you finally sleep
Expectation |
Reality |
There is a reason why a lot of solo artists say "SLEEP IS FOR THE WEAK"
When you finally get sleep, it is a crash. it is not a sinking into your bed and drifting off kind of crash either. it is more like "FUCKING FINALLY-" *CRASHES INSTANTLY* then you wake up an eternity later and realize half your next day or more is gone. This is the essence of being a solo artist. A normal human is supposed to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep a night. But we are not normal. We are creatures of the night. We are not normal humans. And being normal is a challenge... With so much to do and little time to think, things can get hectic. I just hope you all make room for eating and sleeping. Because let me be the one to tell you, THE ROAD IS NOT EASY. And sleeping is essential. If you cannot fit at least 7 hours, try to fit in a power nap on a 6 hour sleep. or just do 6 hours. 6 is enough to at least hold your sanity... lol
Experience 7- The Business Aspect
Not every artist is a business expert... Not every business expert is an artist.
AA lot of the time when you're riding solo, you have to know a little bit about business and how it works. Doing it by winging it gets you nowhere. Look at me, for example. Been in this for 10 years now and have been seeing others who do the same thing i do make it in less time. Why? BECAUSE THEY KNOW HOW BUSINESS WORKS. Networking, making connections, talking to people, being active, and making sure you're heard is a major aspect of growing as an artist. You want people to know who you are? You have to be assertive and know how to negotiate deals and terms. This can get people to backing you up and when you have people you can trust backing you up who know their stuff, their insight can be CRUCIAL to help you understand how to succeed. This is EXACTLY why over the past year I have grown SUBSTANTIALLY from what i was before. I made many other friends who make music. I met a producer who is currently helping me make my EP. The fellow artists I follow watch what I do and when they like my stuff, it lets me know I am doing things right. I reach out and try to help as well when I can. I also did a TON of experimentation to see how I can make my brand better and help it grow. I made it my new year resolution to put ALL my spare money I make into things that will help my music or make it. One payment for an ad can make ALL the difference, folks. And I highly suggest you also read a TON on how business works. I am still learning a LOT, but I know for a fact that I am gonna continue to grow thanks to the knowledge I have received thru advice and books. I encourage you all to take these measure as well. Knowing whatever business you're going into is a necessity. And another thing: KNOW YOU CAN TRUST PEOPLE. Don't let ANYONE take your talent for granted.
Experience 8- TECH ISSUES ARE THE FUCKING WORST!
Being tech savvy is NOT an easy endeavor.
There is nothing worse than already being pressed for time then having your technology fail to work the way it is supposed to. This is a big deal to people who use Live Streaming apps and video apps such as Youtube and Twitch. The thing is that to keep your channel active you need to post at least once every 2 weeks. And sometimes that can be a challenge when your schedule is whack and your tech is even worse. And not everyone is a millionaire like some youtubers are. They have to make do with what they have. During these times, having a good warranty for your stuff is essential because if you do, you may not have to pay a cent if something breaks. You also should make sure everything is up to par before you get up and running on your project.
There is a lot more to explain away, but these are the most essential ones I have.
In conclusion there are a lot of pros and cons to being a solo artist.
CONS
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PROS
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Out of my personal experience, however, I find that there are as many pros as there are cons. Sure, I may not sleep much and I may always be broke, but is this music worth it to me? YES. Every inch of my being loves what I do. And I know that there are millions of starving artists like me who feel the same. At the end of the day, I know I do EVERYTHING for the music. And I wouldn't have it any other way. I know someday I will find my band. For now, I am the eagle that flies alone (Arch Enemy Reference lol)....
Hopefully you all get a clear understanding of some of the struggles a solo musician can face. As someone of the metal genre AND as a female, it is twice as hard. And I don't plan on stopping any time soon. Stay metal, my friends. I'll see you on the next one! ;).
Hopefully you all get a clear understanding of some of the struggles a solo musician can face. As someone of the metal genre AND as a female, it is twice as hard. And I don't plan on stopping any time soon. Stay metal, my friends. I'll see you on the next one! ;).
-ArwenStarsong
BADABING BADABOOM! HERE IT COMES!!!
Welp, you guys! This is it. This is the time of judgement. The time that all things that have happened to come to an end and bring forth amazing new adventures. The end of 2018 could not have come sooner. A TON has happened this year as far as my career goes and I bet a ton has happened for you too. But seeing the end of the year can also mean that nerves come with it along with the expectations that pretty much every human being gets around this year. The resolutions that never get completed, the motivation that gets lost... Here on this post, I will be talking about my personal 2018 journeyed the discoveries I made about myself along the way. I also go into a bit more detail on how to not lose focus on achieving the things you set for yourself for the year. There will be no judgement here. And I encourage you to tell me your goals and stories below in the comment section! :D! Let this post be the thing that motivates you to get your ass in gear and get the ball rolling!
My 2018 Journey started in August 2017 when I took a step I never thought I would...
Starting around August 2017, I saw my hair stylist to get my hair done and she told me about a way she had kept her mind in the positive and drove away the negative. She told me about how she would keep a manifestation book with all the goals she wished to achieve, whether long- term or short. And I thought is was a bunch of hoo- hah at first, but then I went home with a thought in my head, as I had not come up with my goal list, like, ever. I then decided that I would get myself a goal book just as she did and write down the things I wanted to achieve as I thought of them, as my first thought in my head for the 2018 year and beyond was to make my mindset a lot more positive and to immerse myself into making my music career an actual thing, as around this time I was struggling with 2 jobs that were pummeling me mentally and making sure I had no time to work on music. More than anything in the world, I wanted to make sure I at LEAST got a little bit done as far as building my music career from the ground up...
(YES. FUCKING NARWHALS... THE UNICORNS OF THE SEA. because they are bad ass and keep me motivated!) I was very excited to start this notebook, but I was not aware that it would be life- changing for me... This book sparked something in me that I never even thought I would experience. And over the course of the rest of the 2017 year, I wrote all my goals I could think of before 2018. Below is a post I made recently on Instagram to show you all the goals I came up with:
As you can see from eh caption in the post, I accomplished a few of the goals I had written down in this notebook. And I am hoping to accomplish more, including the new goal I added on this same day I pulled it out. But I am saving that goal till the end of this blog. I would like to talk about what happened this year and the things I managed to cross off my little list here. It was quite the ride. And it started off very rocky!!!
Mid 2017, I purchased my hurdy gurdy and waited all of the rest of 2017 for it to be built. So while this was happening, I knew to pay it off, I had to get a job of some sort since my current one was only seasonal and did not pay well. I found 2 jobs. The 2 jobs I found wrecked me. HARD. BOTH PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY. I worked retail AND food service at the same time. Both my managers were NOT pleased with the other and they scheduled me so much that I hardly had a day to myself. If you flip thru the post above, you can probably tell which posts I wrote around this time, as they were very sad and depressing. Both managers also enjoyed bullying me, insulting me, and humiliating me in front of customers, but I will not go on a rant about that. This was not what I wanted at all, but writing my goals to get out of the mess I was in actually felt liberating.
Mid 2017, I purchased my hurdy gurdy and waited all of the rest of 2017 for it to be built. So while this was happening, I knew to pay it off, I had to get a job of some sort since my current one was only seasonal and did not pay well. I found 2 jobs. The 2 jobs I found wrecked me. HARD. BOTH PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY. I worked retail AND food service at the same time. Both my managers were NOT pleased with the other and they scheduled me so much that I hardly had a day to myself. If you flip thru the post above, you can probably tell which posts I wrote around this time, as they were very sad and depressing. Both managers also enjoyed bullying me, insulting me, and humiliating me in front of customers, but I will not go on a rant about that. This was not what I wanted at all, but writing my goals to get out of the mess I was in actually felt liberating.
Doing this cover was the most fun I had in awhile and I SANG MY HEART OUT. It actually got positive feedback too, which I didn't expect, seeing as there are not many ladies who cover Dragonforce. :P. I can actually say that the first lesson I learned as the 2017 year came to a close and 2018 began, I learned that my true passion and calling was making music and that this needed to actually become a full time career for me. Though my computer drove me nuts and my equipment was TERRIBLE for making videos, I managed to poop something out at least monthly. I resolved to dedicate myself to it despite the hardship of making time and the fact that I was dead tired all the time. After this cover was released, I had gathered the funds needed to pay off my hurdy gurdy and I received it in the mail! :D! Here, you can see me stalking the mailman and playing with it for the first time! :P!
One of the resolutions I had made for 2018 was to pick up a new instrument. And the instrument I chose was the hurdy gurdy. Over the year I have made a lot of progress, though I have at least another year till I fully master it. I have tuned it almost to perfection (I still got a few parts to mess with, as my upper notes still sound flat). I can tinker with it and take it all apart and put it back together, and I can say definitely learned music for it. It is the most annoying, challenging, and high maintenance instrument I have ever had the pleasure of learning and I know I have more to learn. Playing the hurdy gurdy has taught me patience and about how to be more proficient in tools. It even made me a few new friends, including my maker! This year in the middle of the year I made the first cover with it to test it out, which was a cover of Angel by Judas Priest. I plan to make more in 2019 when I have fully made the repairs to make the covers possible.
After the production of this cover, I knew I had to step up my game and make the covers and music even better, even if it meant uploading better covers at a slower rate. I did smule videos to make the channel more active, But I researched more on my end. I looked up metadata techniques. I looked up tags that could make the music more searchable. I made new and improved pages. And then I became more active on social media. My music began to get a little more attention than it did before and my Instagram follower count went from only 400 to about 700 in the span of a few months. I learned from this that in order to be heard, I had to work a lot harder. So I did. I sought out the help of others who were already in the industry, I got advice. I even befriended a few people along the way who have given me insight as to how I could better my music. Then around November of this year, this happened:
My good friend, Nathan Castaneda who sings for the alternative band, Valkyrie Missile, introduced me to Morgan Keeney, who is the drummer of Debt to the Deathless and a producer who is starting to gain quite the rep around our town. I was ecstatic to meet someone with this amount of talent. And we 3 formed a collaboration that would turn into my debut single, The Point of No Return. I didn't think this would go this far, but after I made an ad for it, more people started to listen and the view count soared. It hit 8k views as of Today (12/30/18) and I was not expecting it. I also gained 100 new fans from this release. I learned then that I could acieve something if I team up with people and if I just put effort into being seen. Collaboration was a challenge, seeing as we 3 do not share the same goals, but in the end, the piece was amazing and I could not be happier.
This release also taught me how to believe in myself. I am now working toward producing my EP and I am hoping to release it by Mid 2019. But it is gonna be a tough ride. I finally got my hands on better equipment to make the videos a lot better and to produce the music a lot faster, so I am hoping it all turns out for the better. but As I pulled out my book and went thru the list of goals I had made for the year, I realized that I had met a few of the goals... Which was not expected. I also got a violin, which is gonna be my next new instrument to master in 2019!
This release also taught me how to believe in myself. I am now working toward producing my EP and I am hoping to release it by Mid 2019. But it is gonna be a tough ride. I finally got my hands on better equipment to make the videos a lot better and to produce the music a lot faster, so I am hoping it all turns out for the better. but As I pulled out my book and went thru the list of goals I had made for the year, I realized that I had met a few of the goals... Which was not expected. I also got a violin, which is gonna be my next new instrument to master in 2019!
I lost my dog, Oni, the week before my birthday as well. He was my best friend and one of my biggest fans! He loved to sing with me and always kept his eye on me when I was not feeling well. His passing taught me to be prepared for anything. Being vigilant is the thing that keeps you mentally prepared for the worst. Taking the world around you for granted is never a good idea, as in a heartbeat things can change.
As 2019 approaches, I learned in this year to be vigilant, patient, and to stay driven no matter what. Thus, I am entering this year more determined than ever. So I leave you my next list of goals to conclude my personal story. <3.
As 2019 approaches, I learned in this year to be vigilant, patient, and to stay driven no matter what. Thus, I am entering this year more determined than ever. So I leave you my next list of goals to conclude my personal story. <3.
2019, here I come. And THESE are what I will strive to achieve!
1. I will make more music and covers this year than I did last year. I WILL BE HEARD.
2. I will dedicate more time to practicing my instruments.
3. I will remain focused and determined and not let any naysayers get the best of me.
4. I will drive out the negative things in my life and bring in the positive things.
5. I will continue to make more goals and pursue my dreams.
6. I will stream more games this year, as this year, I slacked BIG TIME.
7. I will learn to cook even better :)
8. I will live a healthier lifestyle in an effort to fix my image for my upcoming career.
9. I will continue to strive for the best when it comes to my music.
10. I will attend at least 3 shows a year starting this year and bring home a t shirt from each one. I will also make more friends and connections in the industry so I can get better advice andlearn more.
11. I will find my audience and get to know them . I will talk to them and be the most relatable person to talk to.
12. I WILL FIND MY BAND. AND THEY WILL BE BADASS. lol
13. I WILL PERFORM LIVE SHOWS THIS YEAR.
2. I will dedicate more time to practicing my instruments.
3. I will remain focused and determined and not let any naysayers get the best of me.
4. I will drive out the negative things in my life and bring in the positive things.
5. I will continue to make more goals and pursue my dreams.
6. I will stream more games this year, as this year, I slacked BIG TIME.
7. I will learn to cook even better :)
8. I will live a healthier lifestyle in an effort to fix my image for my upcoming career.
9. I will continue to strive for the best when it comes to my music.
10. I will attend at least 3 shows a year starting this year and bring home a t shirt from each one. I will also make more friends and connections in the industry so I can get better advice andlearn more.
11. I will find my audience and get to know them . I will talk to them and be the most relatable person to talk to.
12. I WILL FIND MY BAND. AND THEY WILL BE BADASS. lol
13. I WILL PERFORM LIVE SHOWS THIS YEAR.
So. Now that you have heard my story, there is the question of how YOU will face the new year.
Now for the real reason I have written this post. Because let's face it. No one really gives a shit about my year. Now we move on to YOU. This year has probably brought a lot of new adventures and some major events and life- changing news or decisions you have had to make. What lessons did you learn this year? What can you take away from 2018 to make sure you are driven for success for the upcoming year? Welp, I am about to tell you a secret that I used for this year. It is a list of steps. and I really would like every one who reads this to follow suit. This is the recipe for success . The power of attraction goes a long way.
So the first thing I did in 2017 before 2018 even began was I made a goal book, which sometimes gets put away for a very long time, but it is still there. THAT IS STEP ONE.
So the first thing I did in 2017 before 2018 even began was I made a goal book, which sometimes gets put away for a very long time, but it is still there. THAT IS STEP ONE.
STEP ONE: WRITE DOWN YOUR GOALS IN A NOTEBOOK YOU CAN LOOK AT DAILY!
*I DO NOT ENDORSE THE OWNERSHIP OF A DEATH NOTE TO WRITE DOWN YOUR THOUGHTS....
Making the notebook was probably the most useful thing I had done for myself in awhile. It gave me a chance to write out my thoughts and to make my goals visible and able to be seen again in case I lost the motivation. Whenever I felt the slightest bit depressed I would whip it out and write something else down or I would reread it again. This was my fuel to keep myself going this year. I wanted to be damn sure my own feelings didn't get in the way. After all, even if someone has no enemies, they can be their own worst enemy. This was very much the case with me and I know there are many of you out there who feel this way as well. You are your own worst critic. And having the notebook readily available to you during the moments of doubt can really help you keep motivated. And you would be surprised what it can do. In paganism, the power of the pen and of spoken word are very powerful and I am strong believer in this. I encourage you to sometimes try to read your goals aloud to yourself when you are alone and comfortable. Reading them aloud can instill power in the words and invigorate your soul to make it happen. Which brings us to step 2!!!!
STEP TWO: MEDITATE ON YOUR GOALS EVERY MORNING BEFORE RISING OUT OF YOUR COFFIN- I MEAN BED...
ME EVERY MORNING
Before arising from your slumber, you should take the time to ponder your plans for the day you are about to experience. What do you want to get done today? How much do you think you can accomplish? Usually I set my alarm about 15 minutes before I am set to get up and set it to snooze for 15 minutes to wake me on time. It really helps time the meditation... or it can make you sleepy. But that is nothing a cup of coffee can't fix! :D! But the real point of this is to make sure you wake up fresh and positive. Even if you are sick. Ask yourself things like How can I make myself feel better? Do I have medicine? How long can I rest for? What can I watch on Netflix today? :). No matter your mood or your feeling, it is always good to think about the day ahead. It can mentally prepare you and also make you more motivated to get more done!
STEP THREE: DETOX.... TRUST ME.
KEEP IT CLASSY
So have you ever hear the saying "detox your life"? WELP. IT WORKS GUYS. Remember the bullshit jobs I had in my story? Welp, after quitting one of the jobs, the other started to give me abusive shit as well. even going as far as to insult me, call me frumpy, tell me I am ugly and I don't belong... and I even had rumors spread. Work place drama is NOT the shizznit. And Guess what I did after my one year anniversary with the company? I QUIT. After that, I felt AMAZING. Do you know that feeling you get when you shed off a sweater you are absolutely DYING in because it is hot in the room??? THIS WAS HOW THAT FELT. You know the feeling when you get your brows waxed and you feel so smooth and light on your face??? THIS WAS HOW THAT FELT. GUYS. THIS SHIT WORKS. I encourage you to come up with a plan before quitting a nasty job, though. I had another job waiting for me when I quit. I don't want you all to be jobless. But if you can find a job you love that doesn't treat you bad, or find friends that actually care as opposed to stay with those fake bitches you currently hang out with that only want you for pot money, THIS IS YOUR TIME TO ACT. Getting rid of ANYTHING that causes you grief, negativity, and feelings of utter grossness can feel AMAZING. Detox your life. This will keep you motivated. Cause who wants naysayers and douchebags to bring their spirits down? KEEP GOING UP. DON'T LET THE DEBBIE DOWNERS GET THE BEST OF YOU.
STEP FOUR: TRY NEW THINGS. Super Cliche, but this worked wonders!
K. So normally I am no this cliche, but we are going there you guys. There power of attraction works in many ways and this happens to be one of them. Letting go of your inhibitions can be a big relief and better motivate you to get things going for yourself. Introduce yourself to new bands, make new friends. Talk to people! JUST DON'T DO ANYTHING STUPID. I SWEAR IF YOU DO SOMETHING STUPID I'M GONNA SMACK YOU WITH A CHANCLA! THIS ONE TO BE EXACT:
Trying new things also feels amazing! Unless you fail miserably at it. Then people can point and laugh at you. But if you're successful at trying the new thing or you think it was worth it, it may well be worth going hardcore into your new year with your goals in mind!
STEP FIVE: KEEP A POSITIVE MINDSET. SERIOUSLY. AND PREPARE FOR THE WORST.
By doing the steps above, you will be on your way to having a more positive mindset! It is great to have this because positivity is the greatest weapon you can ever have (besides the chancla above). Keeping positive and using kindness against those who are naysayers is good to drive them away and detox your life. It is also great to keep your head in the game. Going into 2019 with a clear head on your shoulders will make room for the new events about to happen and it will keep your mind open to new experiences and thoughts as you make way to your goals. I am not gonna lie to you either. 2019 is gonna be a rough ride for everyone. No one can predict the future. The only thing you can do is to remain on guard and carve your own path. Prepare to be hit with a lot this year. And also be prepared with that weapon of positivity. If you're having trouble remaining positive, pop in some metal music. You'll be surprised what listening to metal can do... (REFER TO THE METAL AND CHILL VLOG I WROTE PREVIOUSLY.)
2019 is the year of initiative.
I want you to go into this new year feeling like you are the boss. YOU are in control of your destiny. And you deserve to take your dreams! Go and chase them and take in every new lesson the year brings with a grain of salt. The secret to success is the power of attraction. YOU are the one in control here. Take the wheel and stay safe on this road ahead. Remember that you have support around you and those who really love you will be the ones who stick by your side during your journey. Explore yourself this year. Breathe in every breath of air as though it can be your last. Take a moment to look at the world around you. Empathize with those around you and try to be in their shoes. As you write your own story this year, remember that life can throw many curveballs at you. You just have to be the mitt that catches them. 2018 has been an adventure. I personally learned a lot and gained new insight to take with me as I continue my music journey this year. Tell me your stories in the comment section. I'd like to hear what you have experienced this year! This is a community that is safe and secure. You have nothing to fear. And as for the journey ahead, come what may. As long as you go in with the attitude that you're a badass, you got this. I know you do!
Happy New Year Metalheads! As always, KEEP IT METAL!!! If you'd like, you should check out the youtube playlist below for cool music I personally like to listen to. ;) Introduce yourself to some of the artists in here. They're pretty great!
Happy New Year Metalheads! As always, KEEP IT METAL!!! If you'd like, you should check out the youtube playlist below for cool music I personally like to listen to. ;) Introduce yourself to some of the artists in here. They're pretty great!
KEEP IT METAL AND HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
- ArwenStarsong
Hello, internet! My name is ArwenStarsong and I am growing Youtuber who sings metal music. My community is small, but I love metal! This is the first time I make an actual blog post on my own website (So Be Gentle <3... :P) and I wanted to talk to you guys today about something I think should be a real thing! LIKE REALLY! WHY THE HELL HAS NO ONE THOUGHT OF THIS SHIT?!
SO HOLD ON TO YOUR BUTTS, GUYS. THIS IS GONNA BE GOOD.
ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE METAL AND CHILL. UH-HUH! YOU READ THAT RIGHT! #METALANDCHILL. MUCH LIKE NETFLIX AND CHILL BUT WITH ACTUAL CHILLING INSTEAD OF THE INEVITABLE AWKWARDNESS THAT COMES AFTER THE "CHILL" PART OF NETFLIX AND CHILL (AND YOU ACTUALLY GET TO FREAKING ENJOY THE CONTENT OF WHAT YOU'RE LISTENING TO INSTEAD OF PRETENDING TO!!!). You're probably thinking that I am pulling your leg here, but let me assure you, this is gonna detox that negativity like crazy. as shown in the gif below. :P
So here we are, guys. Stressed... depressed.... You name it, you feel it weighing you down like a hippopotamus that just ate a whole box of Krispy Kreme donuts (Because trust me guize... those Krispy Kremes are a doozy). Well, let me tell ya, it is scientifically proven that during the winter time (especially around the holidays), depression and stress hit a lot harder than they do for the rest of the year. Google it. I am telling you the truth! The holidays and the weather changes that cause it to be darker outside even in the day can intensify these feelings. Luckily there is a cure to the winter blues? And that cure?
METAL!!!
Not everyone would think so, but you would be surprised how much happiness this genre can bring when you feel down. But these losers could't be more wrong. It is actually scientifically proven that those who listen to metal are a lot happier. I seriously cannot make this shit up! Whether you need that song to let out your feelings of anger or tune out the world, or that song to pick you up, metal music has you covered. That is why I decided to share with you my top 15 Metal songs and the reason behind each choice. Sitting and listening to every one of these songs on a bad day can do you a lot of good. So sit back, relax, and prepare yourself cause it is about to get LOUD. ;)
Song 1- Havoc by Eluveitie
This song is freaking nuts and it is GREAT. It is one of my favorite Eluveitie songs. Folk metal is a great way to chill! This particular song is very upbeat and will remind you of Irish riverstomp music. The violin riffs are AWESOME. Eluveitie writes a lot of their music based on old Gaulish folklore and this particular song is about raiding villages and causing mayhem. It actually makes a lot of sense why this song would be in this list. A song about plumage on villages is one that can release any feelings of pent up anger that you could be dealing with. I know that after listening to this song, I always feel relieved! Moral of this one? Imagine you're a raider attacking villages. :P. That'll cure ya.
Song 2- Reason to Believe by Arch Enemy
I just HAD to share this song. First off, Alissa has KILLER clean vocals. Arch Enemy has not delved into the clean singing realm, as it is not their norm. HOWEVER, with the talented Alissa White- Gluz on board, they took a dive and ultimately, the song is one of the most popular ones out of their album, Will To Power. This song also has a very good message. The lyrics are incredible and tell the listener assuring things like NOT to loathe or hurt yourself. It is AMAZING and I cannot recommend a better song for times when you're feeling down. This band has repeatedly told us to remember who we are to to not give in to the pressure of society. They are a constant reminder to love ourselves and find our own power within ourselves.
Song 3- Become the Storm by Dee Snider
This is the voice of metal that everyone needs to hear right now. Dee Snider, who used to be the lead vocalist of Twisted Sister, has been doing solo work for awhile now, but his new album, For the Love of Metal, is definitely a force to be reckoned with. Not to mention, I just frickin LOVE Dee's vocals. The album is chalk full of songs that can make the most depressed person rise. The best song from the album, in my opinion, is Become the Storm. This song is an anthem to get you on your feet. It really hit a soft spot in me, as when this video premiered, I was going through a rough patch. I was instantly feeling better and relaxed after I put this on and it got me through my work day! It is music like this that makes me want to sing even more. PLEASE go and listen to Mr. Snider's album! You will not be disappointed! Every song on it is GOLD.
Song 4- Cry Thunder by Dragonforce
Because Dragonforce has always been a force of good and epicness. They have been around a very long time. But I must say, their new vocalist, Marc Hudson, is both talented and a hunk ;). I love the music this band has been putting out since he arrived on the team in 2011. This song makes my inner warrior burst out... either that or that is the Chipotle burrito I ate earlier. >_> BUT DUDES. I am absolutely behind this band. The fact that their guitar riffs are sick AF and the keyboardist is a maestro. Wanna chill? Let Dragonforce help you with that. JUST LISTEN TO THE SONG...
Song 5- Heart of the Furyan by Dire Peril
I like deez guys and happen to be acquainted with Jason and John. John's voice is like velvet. SMOOTH and soothing. He has the amazing ability to be powerful AND soothing at the same time. Which is not something many vocalists manage. He sings every song with passion. And Jason is a great songwriter and composer! He has a great knack for story telling and I can attest after seeing these 2 interect online that they are a great team! If you like Sci- Fi Metal, this is definitely a band you should check out. Their latest work, The Extraterrestrial Compendium has Britney Slayes and Arjen Anthony Lucassen. An impressive couple of guests, don't you agree? But seriously. Sci- Fi Metal is a great listen on a bad day. These guys will take you on an adventure and make you forget everything. But speaking of Brittany Slayes, the next song is one of hers. :P
Song 6- Tonight We Ride by Unleash the Archers
Dune riding and epic guitar battles???? HELL YES. This is a great song to chill to. :D. The fact that this is a Mad Max themed video just makes it even better! And Brittany is a QUEEN. Her vocal work in every song she does is frickin AWESOME. but this song tops her other work in my opinion and shows the mightiness of her vocal power and range! The guitarists and bassist are in perfect harmony the entire time as well and are a great team! This song in general is a sublime experience and is a great battle anthem. Huzzah!
Song 7- First Kill by Amon Amarth
Because vikings. Amon Amarth is another one of those bands that writes music based on folklore. Their folklore roots are more Nordic/ Viking. This song is more of a venting song. If you feel the need to chill after a fight with your parents, putting this on could probably help you calm down. I love this band so freaking much because every one of their albums has a story to it and is not just a pile of music. This song is about a man who commits murder, which set the events of their album Johmsviking. The man runs away and joins a group of outlaws called the Johmsvikings. The rest of the album is the story of his journey. *I DO NOT CONDONE MURDER. HOWEVER, IF YOU NEED A SONG TO HELP YOU GET YOUR FEELINGS OFF YOUR CHEST, THIS IS A GOOD ONE. JUST DON'T DO ANYTHING STUPID. THANKS.* This song is also a great song to work out to. Just throwing that out there.
Song 8- Stand Up and Fight by Turisas
Probably the most cliche of my choices on this list. But who doesn't love a good war song? This Finnish Folk Metal band knows how to invigorate a stressed soul. I love the fact that they also incorporate accordian and violin into the music. Blending traditional instruments, like how Eluveitie also does, is pretty freaking awesome and blends very well! Folk metal is definitely a genre worth looking into if you're an adventurous one! The album, after which this song was named, is based on the history of Varangian Guard, which was the group of elite Norsemen army men in service during the Byzantine Empire. The album unfolds history and is a good listen if you're looking for a good distraction from your woes.
Song 9- Keehauled by Alestorm
Yo ho, yo ho, A PIRATE'S LIFE FOR MEEEEEE! Alestorm is freaking WILD. lol! These guys are another great band that incorporates traditional instruments into their music. Their music is also downright HILARIOUS and is definitely a good listen to beat the blues and chill! Christopher Bowes is a freaking GENIUS when it comes to "Pirate Metal" in fact, they are one of the bands that started this genre. :D Since they came to the scene, other pirates have come from the shadows to bring forth this crazy branch of Folk Metal! They even sometimes incorporate Black Metal roots into their music on some songs as well, which is both totally random and RAD. I highly suggest listening to this song while drinking rum. If you do not have rum, you are not listening to this song OR THIS BAND right.
Song 10- Beyond the Burning Skies by Battle Beast
I LOVE NOORAH AND HER AMAZING ROARING VOICE. No one can even come CLOSE to matching the power of her voice, except, perhaps, Doro Pesch. Noorah has a gift beyond imagination with the amazing things she can do with her voice! I also love this particular song because it has inspiring words and is a great listen to get you back up and empowered. This song is about glory and honor and is a great song to chill to. The soothing piano riffs and guitar riffs are a good clash and the whole piece altogether is just a great composition. They touch the soul. I highly suggest giving Battle Beast a listen in general.
Song 11- TriggerPulse by Kobra and the Lotus
I love this band and their singer, Kobra Paige. I will always look up to Kobra. Not only is she an encouraging ball of sweetness, the music she creates with her team is beautiful and always spreads good vibes. They may write hard music, but don't let the intensity of it deceive you. Their music will make you bulletproof. Kobra's soothing voice and beautiful words are a great way to cheer up in the winter. If you want encouragement and light, look no further than these guys. They are beautiful people inside and out and always convey a message of love and hope.
Song 12- Victims of Contingency by Epica
Epica is one of the first metal bands I got into. The fact that they have evolved so much over the years of their being together is AMAZING. The reason I chose this particular song is because this one is a great song to not only vent anger, but it reminds you to not blame others for mistakes and failures. It is a reminder to also look within ourselves to find our weaknesses and turn them into strengths. The music Epica writes is a reminder of what metal is about. Metal is not only about being the outsider. It is also supposed to bring forth truths that people are too afraid to observe. Keep this in mind when you're feeling down and out of it.
Song 13- Last Hope in a World of Hopes by Temperance
Temperance is a good epic metal band. The music they write is beautiful and the harmony between Michele, Alessia and Marco are a good mix! Michele and Alessia sing the clean vocals and Marco the harsher vocals. But the fact that 3 completely different voices can come together in this way is great! It reminds me of my days in choir. This particular song has a nice balance of metal and folk music and it is very relaxing to listen to. If you need a break, pop some Temperance on your computer/ phone/ mp3 player. :)
Song 14- Kings by Frozen Crown
Frozen Crown just made their debut and they are already a hit. I just HAD TO put them here. They are also cool people to talk to and very active in their fan community. :). Giada's voice is unique and brings a new crispiness to the power metal genre. She also harmonizes well with Federico, the male vocalist. Thalia, the female guitarist of the band, is a freaking MANIAC and brings riffs that will light the torch in your heart! Not to mention she is also left- handed, which is something you do not see too often anymore! I dig it! If you listen to their whole album, The Fallen King, it will take you into an epic journey about tyrants and war. It is a great listen when you're down in the dumps and need a distraction. I suggest hearing this one while you lie in bed with ear buds and shutting your eyes. It will help you get a better picture of the story. :D
Song 15- Over the Hills and Far Away (Originally by Gary Moore) Covered by Nightwish
Gary Moore was a legend and is influence on many bands such as Nightwish, Powerwolf, ReinXeed, and Sonata Arctica, who all did covers of his music. I love this particular cover that Nightwish did of his song, Over the Hills and Far Away, which is about a man who is framed for murder and robbery and put to face the death penalty, but the alibi ( he did not commit murder because he was out sleeping with his best friend's wife) he has would also ruin his life. This is also the album that lead to Marco Heitala becoming the bassist and Male Vocalist for Nightwishand has backing vocals by Tony Kakko of Sonata Arctica. :D This version was dubbed to be too karaoke like by Gary himself, but I dig it. I like the way Nightwish put their little spin into it. If you want another story to get your mind off feeling blue, this band is your place to look! Their music is what got me into this genre in the first place and though I do not care for Floor Jansen as their current vocalist, I do hold this band in my heart and Tarja is still one of my favorite vocalists! Speaking of Ex- Nightwish vocalists, here's a bonus for you!
Bonus Song- My Sweet Mystery by The Dark Element
Annette Olzen is another ex- Nightwish vocalist and she along with ex Sonata Arctica Guitarist Jani Liimatainen started the band, The Dark Element, as a collaboration. Their self- titled debut released in 2017 with their Self- Titled song The Dark Element kicking it off. And people were BAMBOOZLED. The fact that these 2 came together and wrote this music (and they did not even meet till the filming of My Sweet Mystery) is ASTONISHING. The music they write is music about love, hard times, and rough experiences, but they write in a way where it inspires you to really listen and think about your own life. Inspiration comes from their own experiences. So if you're experiencing a bad day, chill out to The Dark Element. You'll be surprised. TRUST ME. I know I sure as hell was when I found out the news of this collab! I am also SUPER STOKED that Annette came back to music with this project!
So there you have it, folks. I have given you 16 songs to help you gain your "holiday spirit" or whatever back. Personally, I think you should sit down in your room and whip out Youtube, Mp3 Player or Spotify. Then you should go through your music and see what songs motivate you. What moves you? I want to know your opinions in the comment section. give suggestions. HELL! Show me a playlist of your blues battle music. In this community, it is never about who is a better band or who is more metal than the other. In this community, it is about raising each other's spirits. Being encouraging. Listening to the music together and enjoying a good time with your friends or relaxing to the sound of blaring guitars. Guys. Take this moment to reflect your own life and your favorite bands. Have you told your friends about your musical tastes just yet? Welp. I have one more suggestion for you. Give me 3 more songs in the comments. And make a friend in the comment section. And show your friends your favorite music. Music has a beautiful way of bringing people together. It is a great way to bond with those important to you. Every musician I have met will tell you the same thing. Music should be a shield. A sword. A way to make it through the rough times and amplify the good. Spread the love and good vibes, everyone. As I will always say in these blogs-
KEEP IT METAL!
Yours Truly,
ArwenStarsong
KEEP IT METAL!
Yours Truly,
ArwenStarsong
Author
ArwenStarsong is a singer, songwriter, lyricist, Youtuber, and multi- instrumentalist from Fresno, California. She is an enthusiast of the metal genre, and a lover of poetry, art, and writing. She also livestreams video games for fun sometimes. She is an artist of the Symphonic/ Power metal genre that is beginning to bud in the community. She recently helped found a new Symphonic Power Metal band called Sun Lay Silent.
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