Monday, March 9, 2009

A little practice..

Will start making write-ups for a few artists as practice.. haha. Time to build up my portfolio.

There are two ways into the industry at the moment - post your songs on MySpace and wait for an A&R person to 'discover' and sign you or join a reality show and if you're good or have a story to tell, get so much exposure that even if you don't win the show, you're bound to be offered a recording contract. Watching a recent recording of her singing One Republic's smash hit Apologize made me realize something - if Pixie Lott was at the final of a reality show and sang that song, she'd probably win the whole thing right there and then.

An eighteen year-old singer in the industry is very common these days but a performer - one with real, raw talent is extremely hard to find. This girl however, just seems to slide into that category - she's got a stage school education, the major-label record deal, a host of superstar songwriters and producers working with her and most of all, she has a voice beyond her years.

She's got the voice, but she also has the most amazing pop songs. She's definitely on this years 'bring pop back' bandwagon but unlike everyone else, she's actually doing a good job. The songs have one distinct quality about them, a distinct quality that you can't find in a lot of other artists - they all make you want to tap your foot and smile when you listen to them. If music in general relaxes you, Pixie's songs will make you happy and cheery, they'll make you feel like nothing's wrong.

Will she make it big in the near future? I sure hope so. The industry may become superficial and processed but as long as there are still artists like Pixie and listeners who still know how to spot real talent, there's hope.

Sunday, March 8, 2009

All I can see is sunshine.

Yesterday morning, I was given a Dardos award by a fellow blogger and I was truly honored. I read the description of the award and I got all tingly.

The Dardos Award is given for cultural, literary, and personal values in the form of creative and original writing. These stamps were created with the intention of promoting fraternization between bloggers, a way of showing appreciation and gratitude for work that adds value to the Web.

I listed the five blogs I wanted to give the award to and since yesterday, another two have given me the award. I can't contain myself, it's a big thing for your family or your friends to say you're a good writer but for your peers, the people who do the same thing you do to say that you're good - is indescribable.

Last night, I went to the biggest concert of the year here, the last reunion show of the Eraserheads. My dad, being the producer and somehow mentor of the band, got VIP tickets for us and I watched. Watching the show gave me goosebumps. I realized again just how prolific they were, how much impact they had on Filipino music and knowing that my dad produced the songs, did the albums and taught them a lot made me want the same for myself. I want to do something that'll lead generations, not just mine but the ones after me.

Now realize that I don't want to write for a fashion magazine anymore, I want to review albums and songs for the rest of my life. I want to do something I truly love but I also want to do something close to home. I want to say that I had a hand in defining generations, I want to inspire people to do the same.