How to Be Real
Hello Record Executives!
I’m back in New York City this week.
Yesterday’s recording session got canceled because a manhole blew up on the street, and the power in the whole building went out. Apparently there was much fire somewhere. A little disappointing for us at the studio. (Probably not nearly as disappointing as it was for the man IN the hole.)
Ben and I were back in the studio today.
How to Be Real (in bullet points)
• We worked on the final song on the CD, “How to Be Real.” I’ve posted the first rough of the song below. All that’s missing is bass and very light ticky-tocky drums.
• Yes, I’m aware that there’s also a song on the CD called “How Not to Behave.” We songwriters OBSESS when stuff like this happens!
• This is the song that I wrote for Barbara Verba, who was the Be My Record Label contest winner. There were 29 people entered in the contest to have the final song of the CD written for them.
• Barbara and I spoke on the phone in September. (Or was it August?) We talked for about an hour, as I recall.
• The details of this song aren’t exactly Barbara’s story. She has indeed made a big change in her life. She moved from Florida to Asheville. But she didn’t leave her job. She just relocated. And she told me she loves living in Asheville - especially because it’s all about authenticity.
• (Either way, I had fun rhyming “cubicle” and “beautiful.” It made me think of Pam Slim.)
• The most revealing thing about the conversation was what happened AFTER we hung up. Barbara wrote to me and wanted sort of a “do over.” She seemed to think she didn’t come across very well, and that I’d learn more about her if I could see her with her friends and in a more relaxed setting. (Barbara, I’m not sure exactly what you said. But it was something like that!)
• Anyway, I found this to be SO totally precious – especially since we had spent so much of the conversation talking about being real. I wrote her back and said that I had exactly what I needed to write a song for her. I didn’t need anyone to help me see her more clearly!
• So the song became all about fully embracing the experience of learning to love every part of yourself and becoming real, like the Velveteen Rabbit.
Anyway, Barbara, here’s your song.
I hope it holds some piece of truth that is you. I’m so glad that you blog AND that you have a dog. That rhyme was just SCREAMING to happen one of these days!
As is always the case with creativity, I bumped into details that aren’t even yours. One of the women at the November retreat was doing her vision board and she sighed and said, “Oh I just wish my life looked more like a Thomas Kinkade painting.” Her thought became a part of your story too.
Enjoy! I’m in the studio all week.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Subscribe to this feed
Stumble this
Email this to a Friend
Comment
-
Michael Plishka wrote on 10 Dec 2008 at 1:49 am :
Great tune! I tweeted it:) Like the use of the word “blog” in the tune-First time I’d ever hear that!
~peace~
plish
http://www.zenstorming.com -
Thien-Kim wrote on 10 Dec 2008 at 3:24 am :
I love your rhymes! And it flows well with the rest of the lyrics. This is one of my favorite songs you’ve shared.
-
Mindful Mimi wrote on 10 Dec 2008 at 4:13 am :
oooh this song brought the tears to my eyes….
I have the feeling you’re singing about many of us here… And I think I will change my word of the year from serenity to real now…
-
Lance wrote on 10 Dec 2008 at 7:02 am :
Very cool song Christine - I love the message (how it feels to be real) - that song can resonate with so many, and that’s because who doesn’t want to feel real? Not everyone is at that spot, not by a long shot. Still, I think, deep down, there is a desire to “feel real” within all of us. Whether or not we’re ready to let that out, or not…it’s there. Buried, maybe. Surfacing, for some. Alive, for those who have really embraced their life. So, very cool for Barbara, as well - for living it, and having this song as a true reminder of “real”…
-
This is perfect… I absolutely love it. Like CRYING love it… ack! This will be playing all day, I’m sure. A fantastic testament to Barbara and her journey. As far as the necessary critique (my being a slick music producer and all), the way the song ends is great — I like the way it repeats and then ends… I wasn’t sure what to expect as it reached the end.
NancyCz wrote on 10 Dec 2008 at 7:08 am :
-
Laurie Van Dyck wrote on 10 Dec 2008 at 11:26 am :
Dear Christine ~ Good things happening all around, like the rings of water coming from a tossed pebble. First the song, which speaks to each listener, in a completely REAL way! All the pieces of its production seem to fit together like they were meant to be. And, you sing the song’s message with not only the deepest sense of your own truth, but, for me, I heard a welcoming affirmation that it’s possible for each of us to journey to feeling REAL, as well. Then, the next ripple of good things happening, was part of Lance’s thoughts. Lance, you used the word, “resonate”! Not only were you right on in sharing that thought, but, it’s the word that I’m realizing keeps finding its way to the top of my Word of the Year list! I, too, love the repeating ending instrumental. Thanks for the REALly beautiful song, Christine! ~ Laurie
-
-
Tracy wrote on 10 Dec 2008 at 8:31 am :
Hi Christine,
You hooked me immediately on this one with that gorgeous, quiet guitar. Your vocals, the stringy sounds behind the guitar and the lyrics intertwine perfectly with it.
Once again, you really capture the person’s personal turning point in this song. Like many of the people commenting this morning, it made me pretty mist eyed. I can’t think of a thing that I would change about it.
I hope that you are as thrilled with this CD as I am! It is really extraordinary. I can’t wait for the release. Congrats-Tracy
-
Elaine wrote on 10 Dec 2008 at 8:51 am :
This is so beautiful - the lyrics and the music - it made me cry!I love it
-
Nancy Chapman wrote on 10 Dec 2008 at 10:07 am :
Wow.
-
Diotima wrote on 10 Dec 2008 at 11:08 am :
What a beautiful song, Christine! I love the almost orchestral feel of the music and the lyrics are so moving..
-
Amy Crawley wrote on 10 Dec 2008 at 11:13 am :
Lovely song, Christine. As several already said, I think we can all relate to the meaning of this song. Congratulations and congratulations to Barbara too!
-Amy
-
Tari wrote on 10 Dec 2008 at 11:29 am :
Great song, Christine! What a beautiful gift to us all, especially Barbara!
-
Christine wrote on 10 Dec 2008 at 12:06 pm :
Wow. Thanks everyone! What cool stuff to read! (and thanks for the tweet, michael!) We’re starting late today, so I’m spending the morning catching up on email, comments, etc. Does anyone else get WAY behind when they travel?
-
by the way - my husband thinks i should call this song “riding in cars with dogs.”
-
That’s what you should name the CD!
-
Barb V wrote on 10 Dec 2008 at 1:43 pm :
I truly love it!
Christine, thank you so much for such a wonderful gift. There is alot of truth in that song. It will always remind me of my first year here in Asheville and all the feelings that this past year has brought. -
Patty wrote on 10 Dec 2008 at 3:03 pm :
Gorgeous, gorgeous song. Lucky, lucky Barb!! Thanks for sharing this lovely piece.
-
Meg wrote on 10 Dec 2008 at 5:51 pm :
Wow, This song stopped me in my tracks! I had to sit and listen to it a few times. It is simply beautiful.
Congratulations Barb!
-
Lori Raffaelli wrote on 10 Dec 2008 at 10:50 pm :
The song written for Barb Verba is great! I will have to buy a copy of it. Barb is a wonderful friend and I know she was so thrilled to have that opportunity! Thank you for making it happen for her!
-
Chris Ammerman wrote on 10 Dec 2008 at 11:52 pm :
Beautiful music, beautiful lyrics. But I kept waiting for them to catch up with each other; they feel out of sync all throughout the song. Is that by design? Is it just me?
Chris
-
BTW, I second NancyCZ’s comment: RICWD is a great CD title.
-
Sue wrote on 11 Dec 2008 at 8:55 am :
You amaze me. This is truly beautiful and both the music and your voice are perfectly tender and strong.
-
Juju wrote on 11 Dec 2008 at 9:14 am :
Absolutely beautiful! My 9 year old daughter listened to this with me and thought so too. We both think it is perfect just as it is but I will be interested to hear what those ticky tocky drums add lol.
-
Karen L wrote on 12 Dec 2008 at 11:43 pm :
What a special song! Congratulations to Barb and thank you Christine for doing this!!
-
Tammy W. & Peanut wrote on 14 Dec 2008 at 1:54 pm :
Christine,
You never cease to amaze me!!!!!!!!!!
I love it and you!!!!!!!!
That is my main goal in life, “To be real” - and my dog hanging out of my car window!
You read my mind and put it on paper!!!!!!!
Keep up the good work expressing yourself!!!!!!!!
God bless! -
Karen Lynn wrote on 15 Dec 2008 at 4:51 pm :
I LOVE this song. Thank you, Christine.
-
Okay… one week in and this song still makes me teary - it’s simply beautiful!
Wow!
What a great song!
-
tre wrote on 22 Dec 2008 at 6:47 pm :
um..hello. are you sure you didn’t write that for all of us?
sending this one out as a christmas card to every woman i’m close to.
wow.
and wow again.
beautiful.
a gift to all of us christine.
hugs 2 u for that.
luvs and more. -
Christy Johnston wrote on 23 Dec 2008 at 12:08 pm :
Wow, this song completely blew me away.
It sounds totally cliche, but it’s like she was writing a song about my life. Three months ago, I jumped off the corporate ladder (yes, there was a cubicle involved) and started my own small business. A huge part of the drive to insanity (yes, I gave notice on the day the stock market tanked) was my mom’s breast cancer diagnosis. She’s survivin a-ok, thanks be to the heavens, but it was a wake up call that I’d been pushing off my dreams for the sake of a paycheck. So here I am on the cusp of 37, scrambling to meet the bills but living my dream and keepin it real.
And that’s why I love Christine Kane’s music: she is so universal and yet so personal with her storytelling through her tunes.
-
Roban Johnson wrote on 30 Dec 2008 at 11:23 am :
I found you, somehow, through a blog, and am so glad I did! I love this song and your music. Hearing it may have given me my word for 2009… “real.” I had written 11 words, now “real,” seems just right.
Thank you for sharing your music in this way!
Roban
-
Angela wrote on 16 Jan 2009 at 9:45 pm :
real. That’s the word my husband was describing yesterday….a moment in time shifted for him and suddenly he was living in the moment, not just going through the motions.
Absolutely wonderful song…I guess I was looking for something spiritual…this song almost touches the spiritual world, which, to me, is…real.
-
Lynne wrote on 03 Feb 2009 at 6:29 am :
Wow. This made me cry. What a beautiful tribute to that part in all of us that struggles to be “real”. The line that I liked the best was the one about how it took her half her life to get there… because that’s right where I am now. Half my life spent “getting” to where I am… and now looking forward to my own process of stepping fully into what is real for me.
Thank you for this, Christine. It is pure magic.
-
Hi Christine,
Any hints on when this fabulous new CD is going to be released? You’ve been pretty quiet lately………
I was listening to some of the tracks again today and really look forward to hearing it as a whole. I find your music is a great soundtrack to get back in that positive, creative frame of mind. Thanks for that. What an extraordinary accomplishment. -
Candace Kreitlow wrote on 17 Feb 2009 at 11:02 pm :
What a LOVELY song!
Thank you! -
Chris Kane wrote on 17 Feb 2009 at 11:36 pm :
So sweet…charming and lyrical. My word this year is ‘listen’ and I listened more than once….thank you.
-
Kimberly wrote on 18 Feb 2009 at 12:10 am :
whoa.
Miss Christine,
That is amazingly beautiful. Pass the Puffs. To Be Real, indeed.
Hope you are very well!
Light & Love,
Kimberly
p.s. Thich Nhat Hanh is holding a 6 day retreat near Boston this August, I think you might love it. -
Pamela Slim wrote on 18 Feb 2009 at 4:01 am :
Christine:
Stunningly beautiful.
I am going to write a couple of guest posts on personal branding and this song gets to the heart of the matter: be real.
You know I love that you rhymed “cubicle” with “beautiful.”
What a precious gift to Barbara.
-Pam
-
Jandi Small wrote on 18 Feb 2009 at 7:56 am :
Gorgeous, beautiful, and frothy-delicious like the foam on a root beer float…I love it! When’s the CD coming out? I want to buy copies for all my friends. Thank you, Christine…listening was a lovely way to start a Wednesday.
-
Leah wrote on 18 Feb 2009 at 10:02 am :
Hi Christine, I found you through your blog. What a beautiful song, I really enjoyed it.
-
Candice wrote on 07 Mar 2009 at 10:53 pm :
A lovely authentic song, about a real person, and all the more beautiful for it. Like a great artist the end result sounds easy, none of the work is visible.
-
Sarah wrote on 19 Mar 2009 at 10:19 am :
Made me cry! You really are stunning. Thanks for sharing.
-
Vicki wrote on 23 Mar 2009 at 9:35 pm :
Christine, yet another truly beautiful song — so REAL! I’m sure it speaks to many of us, even if it is Barbara’s song. Barbara, congrats on inspiring such a lovely song. I’m happy for you, but a little jealous I didn’t win.
Really looking forward to this CD. All good things . . . . . .
Trackbacks & Pingbacks 1
-
[...] up. Then a melody. Eventually, I finished the song. Now, it’s the title track of the CD! (Click here to listen to [...]
Reply to are you a ‘hopeless romantic’? … « The Musings of a Godess