tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:/blogs/things-i-think-when-i-m-alone?p=3
things i think when i'm alone
2024-03-26T19:38:52-04:00
nicolelepera
false
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7372986
2024-03-26T19:38:52-04:00
2024-03-26T19:38:52-04:00
Floes
2:32
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7370618
2024-03-21T20:31:43-04:00
2024-03-21T20:37:17-04:00
Jump
2:21
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7368210
2024-03-16T21:24:54-04:00
2024-03-17T19:56:30-04:00
Learning Curve
3:32
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7368187
2024-03-16T19:44:53-04:00
2024-03-16T20:22:35-04:00
You Wouldn't Understand
4:00
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7357075
2024-02-25T15:08:54-05:00
2024-02-25T20:38:08-05:00
Your Majesty's a Fool
3:22
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7356836
2024-02-24T23:20:33-05:00
2024-02-24T23:20:33-05:00
Without Heart
2:55
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7353333
2024-02-18T12:56:44-05:00
2024-02-18T12:56:44-05:00
I Don't Like You
1:44
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7345802
2024-02-04T19:25:10-05:00
2024-02-04T19:25:10-05:00
Money
3:35
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7341560
2024-01-27T20:17:29-05:00
2024-01-27T20:17:29-05:00
June
3:19
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7338999
2024-01-23T18:42:43-05:00
2024-01-23T18:42:44-05:00
Denier
2:11
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7332607
2024-01-11T21:44:34-05:00
2024-01-11T21:44:34-05:00
Ruins
2:56
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7330474
2024-01-08T19:06:37-05:00
2024-01-08T19:06:37-05:00
You're Mean
3:16
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7329827
2024-01-07T15:43:49-05:00
2024-01-07T15:43:49-05:00
Stay Away
2:28
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7327983
2024-01-03T21:54:18-05:00
2024-03-16T20:22:35-04:00
Spacewalk
6:59
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7325280
2023-12-28T06:56:25-05:00
2023-12-28T07:05:40-05:00
It Belonged to You
4:54
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7323166
2023-12-22T22:22:06-05:00
2023-12-22T22:22:06-05:00
Sunwood
2:09
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7321633
2023-12-19T21:46:16-05:00
2023-12-19T21:46:16-05:00
Malili
3:47
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7309381
2023-11-25T21:26:57-05:00
2023-11-26T18:54:15-05:00
Door
2:50
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7309157
2023-11-24T23:42:56-05:00
2023-11-24T23:42:56-05:00
You're Basic
1:19
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7304294
2023-11-15T18:12:23-05:00
2023-11-16T05:49:46-05:00
Sanctify
3:10
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7299307
2023-11-06T06:54:30-05:00
2023-11-06T06:54:30-05:00
The Lone Man
2:25
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7288157
2023-10-15T18:28:30-04:00
2023-10-16T10:58:33-04:00
No One Is Coming to Save Us
<p><strong>No One Is Coming to Save Us</strong></p><p> </p><p>Danger I see in the clouds tonight</p><p>Stars are giving off</p><p>A ghostly kind of light</p><p>Even though I should be asleep</p><p>I can’t help but look into the deep</p><p> </p><p>Wars come and go</p><p>Some are left above</p><p>Some below</p><p>And people aren’t charged for their crime</p><p>They’ve already done their time</p><p> </p><p>Seeing is believing</p><p>Seeing is believing</p><p>Across the waves</p><p>No one is coming to save you</p><p> </p><p>In the forest country</p><p>The people gather around</p><p>And together the sound carries</p><p>Through the country all around</p><p> </p><p>But no one is coming to save us</p><p>No one is coming to save us</p><p>No one is coming to save us</p><p> </p><p>No one is coming to save us</p><p>No one is coming to save us<span> </span></p><p>No one is coming to save us</p><p> </p><p>No one is coming to save us</p><p>No one is coming to save us<span> </span></p><p>No one is coming to save us</p><p> </p><p>No one is coming to save us</p><p>No one is coming to save us<span> </span></p><p>No one is coming to save us</p><p> </p>
6:46
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7275720
2023-09-19T13:40:06-04:00
2023-09-19T13:40:06-04:00
The Call
2:59
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7264156
2023-08-27T11:13:44-04:00
2023-08-27T11:13:44-04:00
Neptune
5:01
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7254855
2023-08-09T21:35:21-04:00
2023-08-09T21:35:22-04:00
Evergreen
3:58
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7254350
2023-08-08T21:59:44-04:00
2023-08-08T21:59:45-04:00
Whisperings
4:46
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7242904
2023-07-16T21:13:57-04:00
2023-07-16T21:13:57-04:00
Rushmoor
4:04
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7242845
2023-07-16T17:38:59-04:00
2023-07-16T17:39:00-04:00
Solid Ground
2:42
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7242829
2023-07-16T16:41:32-04:00
2023-07-16T16:41:33-04:00
The Castle Gate
2:30
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7235458
2023-06-30T23:37:14-04:00
2023-07-01T22:10:22-04:00
You Belong to Me
2:42
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7229376
2023-06-20T07:51:24-04:00
2023-06-23T19:29:54-04:00
Spirits in the Station
<p>This is a song by Fred Liebling, performed by me with a 12-string guitar. <br><br>Copyright 2023 Fred Liebling.</p><p>All words and music by Fred Liebling. All rights reserved. </p>
3:31
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7220218
2023-06-03T22:20:49-04:00
2023-06-03T22:20:49-04:00
Shoe
3:37
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7213760
2023-05-22T21:16:49-04:00
2023-05-22T21:21:06-04:00
This Year...
<p>…just keeps getting better, all the time. </p>
1:58
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7191239
2023-04-16T08:34:03-04:00
2023-04-16T08:34:03-04:00
Breaking Point
4:24
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7189537
2023-04-13T13:35:58-04:00
2023-04-13T13:38:00-04:00
Leaving
<p>I improvised this on my piano, which is in need of a tuning, but she still sounds sweet. I think it's interesting that I wrote these lyrics last night, not really knowing what they meant or whom they were speaking to. But today, I realized that they were speaking to me.</p><p> </p><p><strong>LEAVING</strong></p><p> </p><p>All aboard the train<span> </span></p><p>That goes to nowhere<span> </span></p><p>All aboard the train<span> </span></p><p>That will never get you from here to there</p><p>The conductor is drunk<span> </span></p><p>And the wheels are rusted away<span> </span></p><p>But you get aboard anyway<span> </span></p><p> </p><p>The station is rotted out<span> </span></p><p>There’s no one on the platform<span> </span></p><p>But you just eke it out<span> </span></p><p>And decide it’s all gonna work out<span> </span></p><p>Even though you know you’ll never leave the train station<span> </span></p><p>It’s not enough to believe in yourself<span> </span></p><p>It’s not enough to believe in yourself<span> </span></p><p> </p><p>You gotta pick up your bags<span> </span></p><p>Walk through the desert<span> </span></p><p>You got to spend the night under the stars<span> </span></p><p>You’ve got to go on living<span> </span></p><p>Even though you don’t think you can live without<span> </span></p><p>The things that make you smile<span> </span></p><p>You’ve got to find the well<span> </span></p><p>Got to find the well<span> </span></p><p>Take a deep drink<span> </span></p><p> </p><p>Gotta stay up all night<span> </span></p><p>Gotta keep staring at that map</p><p>Gotta know that when you go<span> </span></p><p>There a good chance you’ll never be coming back<span> </span></p><p>And as far as you and me go<span> </span></p><p>I’ll always cheer for you<span> </span></p><p>In the dust between things<span> </span></p><p>All the things we meant to do<span> </span></p><p>We meant to do<span> </span></p><p>We meant to do<span> </span></p><p>We meant to do<span> </span></p><p>We meant to do<span> </span></p><p>We meant to do<span> </span></p><p> </p><p><span>All music and lyrics by Nicole LePera. </span></p><p><span>©2023 Nicole LePera. All rights reserved. </span></p>
5:27
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7188009
2023-04-11T20:30:37-04:00
2023-04-11T20:30:37-04:00
Be Careful What You Wish For
4:14
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7179508
2023-03-27T21:16:48-04:00
2023-03-27T21:16:48-04:00
Working Girls
2:01
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7169724
2023-03-11T20:56:24-05:00
2023-03-11T20:57:02-05:00
Daylight Savings Time
<p>Ugh. Need I say more? </p>
2:24
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7167911
2023-03-08T22:40:36-05:00
2023-03-08T22:40:36-05:00
Sugar
3:52
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7165226
2023-03-04T14:42:51-05:00
2023-03-04T14:42:51-05:00
Hey, B****
<p>This is an old-school vengeance anthem. Think mean girls at recess. Equal parts catty, goofy, and creepy. </p>
2:33
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7160603
2023-02-25T08:35:40-05:00
2023-02-25T08:39:25-05:00
A Blast from the Past: "Nashad"
<p>I was thinking about this song I wrote in 2003 today. It was written from a place of dawning heartbreak, when your subconscious mind knows the truth before you do. I am singing in my “tongues," a way I sing when it's coming from a spiritual place. The words are in different language and it often has a message within that I have to figure out. I let the songs named themselves, usually. I ask the song, “What is your name?" And I almost instantly have the answer. In this case, the name was “Nashad.” I didn't know what it meant, so I looked it up. The meaning was “sorrowful, mournful.” A very appropriate name for the song. Back then, I had production challenges (still do) so there's quite a bit of noise in the background. But I didn't want this song to get lost to the ages. </p>
7:42
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7158177
2023-02-21T18:30:35-05:00
2023-02-21T18:30:35-05:00
Under the Bridge
1:40
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7153350
2023-02-13T20:20:06-05:00
2023-02-13T20:20:06-05:00
Whirlwind
5:13
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7140040
2023-01-18T20:57:24-05:00
2023-01-18T20:59:08-05:00
Cayenne
4:06
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7136322
2023-01-11T01:11:12-05:00
2023-01-11T02:57:05-05:00
S.O.S.
<p>A prayer. </p>
2:32
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7130055
2022-12-29T19:10:31-05:00
2023-01-11T02:57:05-05:00
Shade
<p>To all the people I don't see anymore </p>
<p>With their shoulda-woulda-couldas </p>
<p>And their heavy vice of blame </p>
<p>Countin' many ways they thought I was shamed </p>
<p>"Why didn't you?" she asked with frown </p>
<p>When I hoped someone would throw him a dinner</p>
<p>"Clearly you didn't do enough. </p>
<p>You are a bad, bad daughter.</p>
<p>It was more important you treated your father's whims</p>
<p>Than to spare your own life."</p>
<p>(You shoulda been with him)</p>
<p>Spare your own life </p>
<p>(You shoulda been with him)</p>
<p>"I lost my job while I was undergoing treatments"</p>
<p>It seemed to fall on deaf ears</p>
<p>Though there was a slight retraction of the brow</p>
<p>And the dropping of her silly jaw</p>
<p>The yelling and the blame </p>
<p>When I ran for my life </p>
<p>In what only appeared to be </p>
<p>One of those "everything all works out in the end" </p>
<p>Those nasty, nasty, nasty accusations</p>
<p>Sudden rudeness and cold</p>
<p>"Who the hell are you?" I wondered</p>
<p>And at long last, I finally knew</p>
<p>And it all comes down to one thing</p>
<p>It all comes down to one thing</p>
<p>It all comes down to one thing</p>
<p>One dark truth that echoes them all</p>
<p>You never cared about me one bit</p>
<p>You never cared about me one bit</p>
<p>You never cared about me one bit, no</p>
<p>But I got news for ya, boo </p>
<p>And your fingers pointin' blame </p>
<p>And your shamey-shamey-shames </p>
<p>I don't care what you think </p>
<p>I don't care what you say </p>
<p>Cause I'm goin' the fuck away </p>
<p>And I'll never, ever be back, bitch </p>
<p>So now that I'm gone, I have to wonder</p>
<p>Who you'll point your fingers at now</p>
<p>When you're left alone in a shaded room</p>
<p>Shaking your head and tut-tutting to yourself</p>
<p>Don't worry, you'll be okay</p>
<p>Cause life always finds a way</p>
<p>And some other sorry sod </p>
<p>Some other sorry sod's gonna come knockin'</p>
<p>Some other sorry sod's gonna come a-knockin'</p>
<p>Some other sorry sod's gonna come a-knockin' </p>
<p>On your door</p>
<p>On your door</p>
<p>On your door</p>
<p>Before too long</p>
3:23
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7109444
2022-11-23T22:52:00-05:00
2022-11-23T22:52:00-05:00
Mercy
<p>Why live in a well </p>
<p>When there is mercy </p>
<p>Mercy </p>
<p>Mercy </p>
<p>There is mercy on us </p>
<p> </p>
<p>There are places you’re going to see </p>
<p>The sky’s so blue </p>
<p>Don’t you cry for me </p>
<p>Cause I know what I’m gonna do </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Cause there is mercy </p>
<p>There is mercy </p>
<p>There is mercy on us </p>
<p>There is mercy </p>
<p>There is mercy </p>
<p>There is mercy on us</p>
2:25
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7107349
2022-11-21T13:49:21-05:00
2022-11-21T18:18:35-05:00
Fool Me Once
<p>Preview from album coming out months from now. </p>
2:07
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7105477
2022-11-18T10:51:19-05:00
2022-11-18T10:51:20-05:00
The Dark Night of the Soul
<p>For those holding onto a single candle in the night, I hear you. </p>
3:32
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7102691
2022-11-15T11:51:27-05:00
2022-11-15T12:01:06-05:00
Illusions
<p>When your pretty stained glass illusions shatter (and they always will), cry your tears, then joyfully sweep the colored shards away. For the sunlight you stand in now is pure, ancient, and true. </p>
2:41
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7091529
2022-10-29T18:33:27-04:00
2022-10-29T18:33:27-04:00
Graviton
<p>This piece from my upcoming album, <em>Bastard Helga</em>, has been going through my head all day. </p>
3:24
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7087185
2022-10-23T17:12:33-04:00
2022-10-23T17:12:34-04:00
An Old-School Piano Improv
<p>I will so miss this old friend, my childhood piano...she has gone out of tune over the years and I took her for granted. But after playing her again, it was something akin to coming home again...and her familiar, sweet notes (even if a few are out of tune) soothe me in ways few other things can. </p>
5:25
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7081387
2022-10-14T11:36:20-04:00
2022-10-14T12:00:00-04:00
Clamber
<p>When you're fed up on a cold, rainy day. </p>
3:45
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7058909
2022-09-12T21:25:38-04:00
2022-10-14T12:00:00-04:00
Judy's Tears
<p>Goodbye, sweet little friend. </p>
2:21
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7043803
2022-08-23T00:51:13-04:00
2022-08-23T00:51:13-04:00
Ripped
<p>The indescribable sense of loss when you watch years of memories being torn apart. </p>
3:29
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7034406
2022-08-09T21:26:05-04:00
2022-08-09T21:26:05-04:00
Pad Thai
<p>Sometimes...you just really want some. I mean, REALLY want some. </p>
2:30
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7029584
2022-08-03T01:22:12-04:00
2022-08-03T01:22:12-04:00
Gate
<p>This is not a folk album...and an entirely new genre for me. It's raw and unapologetic. Here is a sample track, called "Dark," about watching your lover sleep after you die...and finding out every last one of their secrets. </p>
<p>You can hear the whole album or purchase it at the following link: </p>
<p>https://oeinc.bandcamp.com/album/gate</p>
<p> </p>
2:32
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7019906
2022-07-21T23:32:50-04:00
2022-07-21T23:32:50-04:00
Keening
<p>Sometimes, you just gotta let it all out...</p>
3:28
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7018999
2022-07-20T19:53:26-04:00
2022-07-20T19:53:26-04:00
The Bells of London
<p>I wrote this the night before the heat wave in Europe. Having been in the UK, I knew how bad this would be. Something about the old buildings, lack of trees, etc. made the 80s feel like the 100s. As I wrote this, I felt like I was melting into the floor and flames were rising all around me. And sadly, that's just about how it's going over there. </p>
<p>I hope and pray that cool relief comes soon...</p>
3:11
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7017522
2022-07-18T22:05:57-04:00
2022-07-18T22:05:57-04:00
Battle Cry
<p>When you have to fight for or against something, do you find your own battle cry somewhere deep inside you? And when your energy, courage, or resolve is flagging, do you find that its sound comes to your mind just when you need its strength? </p>
<p>As I go through these days, I hear its faint refrain in the background: </p>
<p><i>You will never bring me down. </i></p>
<p> </p>
2:15
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/7007596
2022-07-04T23:47:19-04:00
2022-07-04T23:58:39-04:00
Tomorrow's Medicine
<p>Once again, you try to scramble up from the ashes, reform the phoenix wings again out of a bit less ash than last time. Again. And again. You are tired from the fighting. You want someone else to take up the sword. But almost everyone else you know is also fighting, trying to survive. </p>
<p>Sometimes, it really seems like everything is stacked against you. Against many of us. </p>
<p>This is especially painful when you seek help, and one seemingly well-meaning person after another says the same word: </p>
<p><em>Unfortunately.</em></p>
<p>It's not so much the fact that you aren't going to get what you want or need. It's the way it is said, with almost a sing-songy lilt of a fairy godmother. But instead of being granted your wish, this fairy godmother brings you nothing but headaches and disappointment. And plenty of wasted time. </p>
<p>I was feeling pretty blue about all this stuff when a friend found 60 old songs and comedy sketches on his computer. Things I'd written probably two and a half decades ago and had all but forgotten. As I listened, I began to be transported back to a time when my life was far simpler, with all of the peace and innocence which comes with that. I found I had a smile plastered on my face, being transported back to when money seemed to always be in your pocket, time was limitless, pain was almost unheard of, and problems were few. </p>
<p>It's amazing how sometimes the songs of the past are the balm of your future. But you have no idea of their power at the time. You are just having a good time creating. You don't realize you are possibly creating tomorrow's medicine -- music that will contain answers, comfort, or maybe just a good laugh when you really need one. </p>
<p>Well, at least one of the few things that were plaguing me in that golden era of my life is now history. ;) </p>
2:24
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/6921007
2022-03-13T07:44:48-04:00
2022-03-13T07:44:48-04:00
There Are No Words
<p>As I watch the horrible images come through the TV, there are no words for what I feel. So much pointless loss of life, destruction of worlds, and for what? This piece has been cycling through my head on repeat over the past couple weeks. It is the only thing that can express just how bad I feel for the people of Ukraine. I hope that it somehow serves as a mantra, a prayer, some kind of comfort to those who cannot be comforted. </p>
2:36
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/6915413
2022-03-06T20:36:39-05:00
2022-03-06T20:36:39-05:00
Times They Are A'Changin'
<p>I knew 2022 was going to be a rough year. But on New Year's Eve, I never dreamed we would be staring into the maw of World War III. </p>
<p>So many things in life up until now, I've taken for granted. Things that are in jeopardy. The beautiful places I have seen -- things I thought would always be there -- now have an uncertain future. It's anybody's guess how things are going to turn out. </p>
<p>It comes into your consciousness, your dreams, every fiber of your day. And though you can manage to distract yourself for a while, it's always there in the background. I can hear it in the edge of my voice. In the dark tones of my guitar. </p>
3:54
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/6758260
2021-09-26T21:36:45-04:00
2021-09-26T21:36:45-04:00
Music: Your Best Friend
<p>When you get a piece of really bad news, get your heart broken, are sick, or someone you love dies, do you pick up the phone? Or do you turn off the phone and turn to music? </p>
<p>When I'm down — <em>like rock-bottom down</em> — I find that I can crawl into the world of my music and disappear there. As I sink into the words and harmonies, the air flowing in and out of my lungs, I can exist for a while in another world, another time, where for just a few moments, nothing can touch me. It feels like crawling under a toasty comforter in the softest pillowtop bed you can imagine. Or floating down a lazy stream on a warm summer day, with nothing to do, nowhere to be. </p>
<p>The reality always comes screaming back before long. But the music continues to flow in my brain, soothing me, saying, <em>Yes, I understand you.</em> And unlike many people, music doesn't kick you when you're down or let you down. It is always there, waiting to connect, to help wash your pain away. </p>
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/6743438
2021-09-11T19:56:08-04:00
2021-09-11T19:56:08-04:00
Quality vs. Quantity and Being Present
<p>I am home from a whirlwind trip, one in which I tried to fit a month's worth of sights into a few days. When I have time off, it seems that I try to always do way too much. In the past, I could get away with it a little better. Now that I'm a bit older, I'm finding that no, <em><strong>camping in your car is really not the best idea. </strong></em>Instead of sleeping, it was a bit like being tortured for eight hours. So do not try this at home. </p>
<p>Of course, I brought my Backpacker along, in case I had an inspiration. I did come up with a few great ideas. But I sang the tunes hastily into my recording program on my phone to figure out later, for I had miles and miles to go. I don't know why I didn't take a moment to sit under a tree for five minutes, relax, and play. Instead, I had a near-manic drive to <em><strong>see it all. </strong></em></p>
<p>And though I returned home with plenty of pictures for my efforts, somehow, I feel I missed the point. I didn't really connect to any of these moments, other than being blown away by this or that stunning view. My mind wasn't really there most of the time, as it was already jumping forward to the next experience down the road. </p>
<p>Today, I didn't feel like going anywhere other than places right around here. I enjoyed sitting in the sun with my feet in a cool river, listening to the wind through the trees. I watched a Pileated woodpecker hammer away for its meal. I sat and absorbed the goings-on in a beautiful field, filled with swirls of dragonflies and butterflies. I realized that in some ways, this was the best day of my entire vacation -- and I didn't go anywhere. </p>
<p>For I was really there. </p>
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/6691092
2021-07-17T19:11:36-04:00
2021-07-17T19:11:36-04:00
Creating a Time Capsule
<p>A familiar smell can bring back forgotten memories with remarkable clarity. For me, listening to a song I have written long ago somehow takes me back to the moment it was written, with all the thoughts and feelings that went into writing it. I am brought back to the porch where I used to sit and listen to the nearby stream, or the roadside stop where I pulled out my Backpacker and wrote the song, and can remember those views again.</p>
<p>You also see just how far you've come from where you were at that time. Like a dusty, tired traveler, you feel the weariness of that long journey, full of its many ecstasies, struggles and pitfalls. You feel the sensation of every step that brought to where you are today. </p>
<p>In a sense, our music is a time capsule of all these moments patched together. You see your soul's journey and how you have been molded in what you've become. </p>
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/6678264
2021-07-03T17:10:48-04:00
2021-07-03T20:31:52-04:00
Singing When You're Sick
<p>Many singers I know (including me) can actually enjoying singing while they're sick. Even though talking is nearly impossible through all the sniffling, sneezing, and other unpleasantries, something about singing itself seems to sometimes help. Maybe it's all that extra deep breathing, or just taking your mind off your misery for a little while. </p>
<p>Another interesting effect is that sometimes you can access a different sound or lower notes when you're under the weather. If I can muster up the energy, I tend to sing the blues -- for more reasons than I'm feeling bad. It's certainly not a cure for your sickness -- but it can sure lift your spirits for a while. </p>
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/6632154
2021-05-16T23:33:05-04:00
2021-05-16T23:33:05-04:00
The Never-Ending Balancing Act
<p>We'd all like to have all the time in the world to make music — after all, that's what we came to this planet to do. But life often throws a wrench into our best-laid plans — a child gets sick, your shift is shorthanded and you have to work overtime. And that relaxing evening you had planned spending time in your thoughts and coming up with your next favorite song? Well, it just didn't happen. </p>
<p>What do you do when you are faced with this situation? Do you try to make it up somehow the next day? Or do you get caught inside the immediate needs of the current time — only to find that several weeks later, you have completely lost your momentum? </p>
<p>There are still those bold enough to throw all caution to the wind and go for it 100 percent — and this often means not knowing where they will lay their head that night, let alone when they will have their next meal. Not many of us are quite so brave.</p>
<p>Life and art don't always cooperate — but many artists I have known have learned to be quite creative in how they champion their careers as artists while still making a living, raising children, and attending to their other responsibilities. With a little brainstorming, what seems impossible can often become quite possible — if you are able to see the opportunities lying just under your nose. </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/6619360
2021-05-01T23:10:52-04:00
2023-12-10T11:30:13-05:00
Playing "Out"
<p>One of the coolest things I own is a Martin Backpacker guitar, which comes with me on many an outing. It's a tiny, light version of the original, and when you sling it over your back, it's virtually weightless, allowing you to easily bring it to the beach, on a hike in the woods, or just to have with you if you come up with an idea. </p>
<p>It's a completely different experience playing music while you look up and watch the sun filtering through the treetops, their calm song intermingling with yours. You can find remote spaces where you can really let go and wail, such as one location I have fondly named "The Screaming Swamp." </p>
<p>Today, I found one such place, on the top of a mountain, no one around (yes, I cheated and drove there). Just me and the panoramic view. I sang at the top of my lungs and it felt great. </p>
<p>And while I didn't receive any tips for playing "out," the crows seemed to enjoy it. :)</p>
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/6613039
2021-04-24T21:34:51-04:00
2021-05-16T23:11:24-04:00
The Youngest Listener
<p>I was featured on WMPG's Podcast Open Mic recently, which was a lot of fun. When your music is played on the radio, you never know who will be listening, or what their opinion of your music will be. But you just put it out there all the same. </p>
<p>I was surprised to learn that one of my listeners was the child of a friend of mine, about 8 years old. She apparently really liked the music, which I would not expect of someone so young. It really made my day — and it also made me realize that you just never know who will end up liking your music, and the results may really surprise you. </p>
<p>Another surprise was that my father loved many of my experimental tracks, which I had never shared with him all these years, assuming they would not be his cup of tea. It just goes to show you — you never can tell whom your music will reach. So if you are a musician, just keep on making the music...and let the coins fall where they may! </p>
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/6605454
2021-04-15T22:20:30-04:00
2021-04-15T22:20:30-04:00
The Sound of the Road
<p>Some people seem to always have to be listening to music, from the time they wake up to the time they go to sleep. </p>
<p>A friend asked me recently what my favorite thing to listen to while driving was. My response surprised him. </p>
<p>"The sound of the road." </p>
<p>He looked at me like I had a screw loose. He's right — I probably do. </p>
<p>I didn't always appreciate the sounds of the world around me — and sometimes I still don't. The souped-up muffler truck that seems to be incessantly driving around the neighborhood? Well, that sound I could really do without. But I enjoy the sounds of wind. Of water. The sound of the pavement under my wheels. The random sounds you might hear in the course of a day. And, of course, the myriad of birdsongs we are lucky enough to hear in Maine. </p>
<p>I am not sure what this love comes from, but I know I need it. And somehow, it contributes to my music in some way, though I don't incorporate it directly. And some musician friends of mine are the same. Maybe, to us, it's like the blank canvas of the artist, our starting place. </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/6402322
2020-08-04T23:34:30-04:00
2021-04-15T22:20:56-04:00
The Breeze or the Storm?
<p>As the remnants of Hurricane Isaias blusters through, I feel fascinated by its dark power. Its forces, which overturned cars just a few states away, is now but a pleasant, blustery breeze, a welcome change in our days of constant heat and humidity. </p>
<p>As artists, some of us cloak our true voice, our power. Much like the hurricane, by the time we are done processing and rethinking, imagining how people will receive our music, we may find that while it may be technically executed better than maybe when we wrote it, it somehow lost something in the process. When the emotions are raw and pouring out, there is an honesty to that music, despite any mistakes we may have made. </p>
<p>So the question is this: <em>The breeze or the storm? </em></p>
<p>The breeze may be sonorous and more pleasant to listen to. But I often find I prefer the storm. </p>
nicolelepera
tag:nicolelepera.com,2005:Post/6400241
2020-08-02T18:17:21-04:00
2021-04-15T22:21:40-04:00
The Future of Indy Music
<p>As many of us are trapped in our homes for the forseeable future, I have to wonder: <em>Where do we go from here? </em></p>
<p>I think fondly back to the now-bygone days open mics. They were usually in some dark bar, or a tiny cafe. You'd put your name on the list, and voila, just like that, you were in.</p>
<p>It was a community of sorts — though many of us had never met — but that night, we were each other's ears and hearts. We would play out our souls to each other, into that dark, sometimes empty room. But someone was listening. Someone appreciated the music that you made with your time and talent, with the blood, sweat, and tears of your life. </p>
<p>The bars are silent. The walls still remember us. But we won't be back anytime soon. </p>
nicolelepera