Go Do Be

Our home recording studio is so slammin now that we converted to all MAC and had our friend from Guitar Center, Nashville completely tweak it. I can't believe this blessing. To be able to record studio worthy material sitting in my underwear, rolling out of bed in the middle of the night to give life to a melody by recording it in my OWN home studio.

You just have to be resourceful. Not wait around for anyone. I encourage any musician out there to take that extra day or night job you hate, and turn around to be positive. Earn money to get a Protools rig or Logic. That is the ticket, to improve your home studio environment. Be your own music developer. Record. Don't wait.

Big budget recording doesn't exist anymore. There is absolutely no reason to have to wait to rely on anyone. Teach yourself anything you want to know. God thank you for this era where we can easily access videos, books, and vast information on the internet. A global resource. Be a research junkie. Keep on developing your craft. There is no such thing as major label development.

That goes for the book writer out there. Create it, produce it, get it out to the world for a modest fee. Marketing is so much easier with the internet. Join all the groups, forums and blogs you can that have to do with your subject of interest. Ask questions, make friends, create art. There's a vast community out there that will support what you do and encourage you in ways that were not available only a few short years ago.

Creativity is like air. It's there. It's available. Ask God for the tools you need to accomplish something. You'll be amazed what happens. It comes to you.

Last night I stayed up til the late hours mixing and editing my song Gotta Roarrr. It had been a demo for effin ever! I always wanted to re-do that song. No problem. Standing in my pajamas, revved up to sing with my kitty kat by my side and Mr. Patrick operating the rig, there I bellowed into Stella (my beloved microphone). And then could craft as I wish. Nah, let's redo that line I want to try this...that. Then Mr. Patrick had to leave for a short tour with Tracy Lawrence, so I took over the controls and went to work, Dunkin Donuts coffee in one hand. Kitty kats purring near by.

BLISS. I worked, prayed, pined for this moment. I love it. My beautiful readers, friends, family....I encourage you to take action. Wait not a moment longer to live your dream. Every action is a dream in forward motion. Go, do, be.

Love to you and Happy Passion Day,
Sasha

Jasmine Cain Band

Last night, Jasmine and drummer Steve came to break some bread at my house on the river. I opened the door to a gleaming, glowing songstress holding a bouquet of flowers in one hand and her new CD in the other. This precious, sparkling soul was beaming, filled with the promise of success.

She's the incredible bass playin', lead singer of the Jasmine Cain Band. And she is a bold example of earning your fan base and being extremely dedicated to your craft. Jasmine is a no holds barred, balls to the wall business woman, as well as creative genius.

Her manager is herself. When she's not on stage astonishing the crowds, she's "number crunching" and booking gigs out and in...all the while paying for the trip as it unfolds, and paying for the way to go home...all through the keen sense of being her own booking agent and accountant. "There are times when I don't know how I'm going to get the band home because clubs bail out or whatever happens out there...so I get on that phone and book other gigs for the return trip. " So dedicated to her career she doesn't give in to the stress that accompanies juggling so many business duties in addition to being the artist. No, Jasmine excels....she rises off the chart for the ocassion, and exceeds the audiences expectations.

She also drives her Ford Expedition to the gigs with all band members including "Merch" the merch girl packed in there together. Whatever it takes...it's about realizing her vision and she is in the midst of the magic...the journey to achieve the level she's always hoped for...it's right there...

Jasmine released her new record on January 1st and has already sold 600 CDs at her appearances (including other merch that she has). This is a girl who takes her career as serious, literally, as a heart attack, because her heart would be attacked and saddened if she couldn't perform. She truly lives and breathes being an artist.

Jasmine Cain educates herself. Reads about the music business, asks questions, sits with pros in the music industry and carefully culls information. She has amassed a sizable fan base playing the motorcycle rallies and venues in between across America. Just last week the band played BOTH the Viper Room and Whiskey-A-Go-Go and received a warm welcome from both usually difficult rooms to get into....but she rocked them against the wall...and left them wanting more. Then drove 36 hours back to Nashville, crammed in an Expedition with her band mates, pulling a small trailer with all her equipment.

She's been on the road like this for a number of years, building and stretching and attracting all kinds of audiences. I remember this girl...when she began...and since the start she's been all a-fire and brimming with rock n roll that'll stone you from her attention-getting melodies, licks and lyrics. Her new record she painstakingly funded on her own dime all by earning one fan at a time across the USA.

This recording was a four month intense project. Because she's such an astute business woman, she had to push that part of herself aside for a minute so that she could fully enter into the chamber of creativity -- the crayon world of sheer inspiration...listening to the rhythm in her soul and giving birth to the songs that would chase her down the road while on tour. She had to lose herself in the musical moments and sharply focus her talent like a locomotive rolling along the rails letting all this music pour forth and pour forth it does on Locks & Keys.

I leave the track analysis up to the listener. But, let me tell you, she is, by far, the hardest working, hottest rock N roll diva on the planet. All of those sleepless nights, angst about how to get home from a three week long gig, and enduring the dark days of facing music industry people who tried to puncture that vision....have paid off. Her sensual, super high energy performance puts her in a league of her own...her intensity reminds me of the early days of Alanis.

I spun her disc while she was here eating my home cooked chili and drinking some Coppola Rosso, and it was hard to concentrate on any conversation because my ear was constantly craning to absorb the powerful tunes demanding my attention. Truly, this chick blows my mind with her unusual talent. I've seen her evolve over the years into a super star...a performer who deserves to play The Warp Tour, Bonaroo and everything in between...opening for Aerosmith. She's that entertaining.

But this girl manages herself, makes all the business phone calls, maintains the myspace account, books the hotel rooms, keeps the band working, deals with production snafus......all alone. Admittedly, it is hard work. "I've got four lives to take care of," she says about her band, her eyes wide in all seriousness.

At this point I'm wondering....who at The Warp Tour will say to this outstanding artist who is self-managing and self-booking her incredible band, okay, you're booked for the tour! Now a days it's so much about labels and big money deals and having a representative fronting the band. Well, let me say here that if any of the promoters out there want to buck the system and take a chance on this chick dialing you up looking for a spot on a hot rock tour or festival...pay attention.

I hope Warp Tour will take her on because this chick plays to huge crowds at all the major motorcycle events and is on tour with the Easyriders Rodeo...which is a big deal in our biker culture! The fan base is gigantic and not in the manner of having some intern pull myspace friends in, or hypoid conversation from record label people wanting to shove product in yer face without even having a chance to know the artist.

Jasmine's been touring all kinds of venues and every out of the way place in between her rally gigs for a strong and solid whole lotta miles-- and people love her. She's just mesmorizing! They ask her to return.

She tells me, "I'm going to make it!" And I tell her, "Chick you are making it! Your time is now. It's happening." This hard work is paying off for this admirable songstress. She's going to be huge and, you know what, she did it mostly alone, IGNORING the naysayers, IGNORING the heartbreakers and focusing hard on the art of making her dream a reality. Jasmine is the example of living and breathing and dying for your art. She's courageous, and she's a survivor.

Jasmine Cain, with her waist length colorful hair, sexy bass playing, and versatile singing, ...will leave you stunned and a loyal fan. www.myspace.com/jasminecain

This is music. This is truth. This is an artist pursuing her passion, so she can breathe. She sings of the things that you want to say, but you just can't talk about. She sings of things that you feel deep in your heart, she explodes your thoughts into songs.

Marriage.

Okay.

A Southern Man asks a Northern Chick to marry him. Be with him FOREVER. He's a gentle giant....loving dude. Just loves me for me. Doesn't want to change me in fact encourages me to be even more of myself than I even knew that I was. The dude loves New York City. But he has to live here in Nashville, for his job, his job as a professional, touring musician. He's on the road all the time! So a great deal of the time I'm pretty much alone working on my art projects and so on. That's when I get wrapped up in my thoughts and wondering where I ought to be in life...you know. But he's a pretty strong draw and a safe haven...all that love he blesses me with is so DIVINE. This freespirit is such a freebird. And he wants me that way. Has no desire to change me....encourages me to fly and experience life full throttle. "Jest call home, baby," he'll say in his South Carolina drawl.

I've NEVER been married. Neither has he.

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

He's an amazing person. Very loving, kind, social, extremely talented -- a good ol' boy. His friends are also really great. He's a care giver in the most charming sense of the world. He's everybody's rock.... loves to love and be friendly.

Dude loves me so much that he just stares at me with a big smile and tells me how pretty I am. All the time. How smart I am. He encourages me to be high voltage, high octane silly and pure as a Sasha belle can be ... Pure in the sense of : the truest form of little ol' me. And he's brought out some nice flowers in the garden of this Eve. Flowers I didn't know I could be.

The other night, I was all wound up -- going at 200 miles per hour. I was all emotional about missing my family, friends and home. Well, that man just swept me up in his arms and feather lightly placed me in his arms and just caressed me and stroked my hair and my face. Well, I was OUT like a light. His touch is like a DRUG, people. He would say sweet things to me while he was lovin' me up like that. I felt like a tiny faerie in his arms because he's such a big guy. His voice is all soft and deep and completely healing.

I think he's an angel. Truly. An angel in disguise. He let's God use him all the time for things. And you know what, he's rarely ever been to church. Doesn't know a lick of the bible. But he's more Christian than many Christians I know. He loves Jesus very much, even though he doesn't intellectually know much about the Son. He knows the Son, believe me.

So, this idea of marriage is a big one. That would mean that I would have to live in Nashville, though, he's thinking of buying an apartment in the outer banks of Brooklyn together someday, which would be awesome...out in the hood somewhere. I'd live out in the hood for sure. Near the water...oh yeah. I'm make it work. It may not be Manhattan, but, folks, to be near my beloved amazing family and super friends up North, in addition to being a Southern chick, okay...that sounds peachy. Plus my man would be able to take those stellar musical skills and jam with my many jazz and rock music friends in NYC.

So, once again, I consider, "Who Said A City Girl Can't Be Country?" especially when she has a gentle giant music and motorcycle chrome charming, as her southern rock.

And, quite frankly, I don't need any other rock...but my southern rock.

Gone to Pee, Don't F&*K With My Drink.

GONE TO PEE Don't F&*K With My Drink is the slogan printed on the back of the business card. Where I work occassionally.

You won't find this card proudly presented at Daniel's in New York City. Or LeCirque.

I'm a bartender in some hard core local bars here in Nashville. The local watering holes. Oh, but first before I went to work at the local hangs, I went to work downtown Nashville to service the tourists, and the more polished suits, the college kids.

But they don't tip.

And they're not personable.

And they don't care what your name is.

So, I decided to go work in the local hangs. When I first started working at the one bar, here in Nashville, well, Antioch, I was definately in a new landscape. I was amongst proud rednecks. And they were proud to declare the title.

I was a Yankee. Damn Yankee at that. And still am to them, but now called THIER yam dankee, instead. There is a difference between North and South. And here I thought we were all one and .... I felt like a stranger. And that's strange because I'm not a stranger anywhere. I can walk in all kinds of circles and environments and feel a kinship.

I thought that maybe I would never fit in here. I'm an artsy fartsy New York City biker hippie chick singing southern rock style music. What the?

But Who Said A City Girl Can't Be Country?

At the bars where I work, I've met the nicest, most loving kind folks. They care. They want to commune at the bars because they love to socialize. And at these bars, it's like a party. Maybe like being in your best friend's basement at your mom's house growing up, like on That 70's Show.

They tip.

They're personable.

And the first thing they want to know is your name and will repeat it all night long so that it is in their hearts and rolls off their tongues as if you're a lifelong cousin.

The customers call me baby, sweetheart, honey, darlin'. And in New York, well, poop thumbtacks, some girl bartenders would think that was deroggatory. Not me! Because these folks say it with care and an invitation for friendship. They say it differently. Very differently. They speak these endearments, endearingly. It's part of the culture here in the south. They also like to stand in that "personal space" area that us New Yorkers vehmently protect. We northerners keep folks at arms length unless we really know someone. But here in the South, well, these beautiful people, you know, completely stand INSIDE arms reach right when they meet you. Warm welcome. Indeed.

My one boss, David, is what I call, my "Hillbilly Hero" and I've written a song for him. He and I are like brother and sister. He is so Southern and I'm so Northern, but we work well together. He adores me and I adore him. He's my Hillbilly Hero because he cares so much and is concerned about my wellbeing as one of his employees and friends. He came to visit me at the other bar last night and brought me a token from Vegas, a Harley-Davison purse featuring a chick on a motorcycle dated in the '50s. With rhinestones splashed across the design.

Well, I stopped sweeping, opened this gift and was just bubbling and fountaining with gratitude. He's the best. What a beautiful and caring move, eh?

These are real, down-to-earth, honest AMAZING folks here in the good ol' south. They are FUN and they are loving and kind. Not that New Yorkers aren't! I miss home SOOOO bad alot of times. I'm a city girl forever and I long to be home.

And someday I hope and pray that I will be able to afford to return home because my beloved hometown of NYC has become so expensive.

Oh, Northern friends say, move to Queens, Brooklyn, and I've lived there before. I know the boroughs are there and available as choice locations to reside. But those places are the alternatives to where I really want to be, at home. And that is right in the heart of Manhattan. With it's bustling streets and fantastic neighborhoods, and ART! ALL THINGS ART!

For now, however, it's like I left the barstool for a moment, that New York City barstool, and for the moment:

GONE SOUTH, DON'T F(*K WITH MY NORTH.

I am relieving myself in the South. Stress relieving, that is. Enjoying the solitude and simple pleasures of a beautifully tepid pace... and learning what it means to be quiet and think. To breathe very deeply and become totally aware and to act carefully and with thought.

And being around people who take the time. Alot of time to make sure you're doing alright. : )

xox.