"Only You" Song and Video

Dear Readers,
Here is the link to my rendition of "Only You". It's a joyful work of audio and video; I hope you enjoy it.   
Clara


https://youtu.be/lHGhhVE7MZM

Sizzling Summer Update ...

Here is a quote by Charlie Musselwhite, the fabulous blues harmonica player who is sometimes referred to as "Memphis Charlie" and who has a fascinating bio. The quote speaks of the blues genre and says exactly what is true and it was offered by Dan Forte, ASCAP/Deems Taylor Award winner for excellence in music journalism.  It says: "The blues is your buddy in good times and your comforter in bad times. It empowers you to keep going. It is secular spiritual music, the gospel blues. It's music from the heart instead of the head." To which I say "Amen".

I write, sing, and play other genres of music -- each for its own reason and purpose ... love songs to tell my secrets, jazz as a mental work-out, latinesque for its excitement ... but blues is exactly what Charlie says it is and that's why I love it.  

Here is the link to my music video "Fantastik Five-Clara the Lady Wolf"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c76mqe3-1II

Fantastik Five ... Clara the Lady Wolf (new video)

Please view my new video.  Check on "like" if you like it !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c76mqe3-1II

Updates !

Dear Readers.

I haven't posted to this blog since mid-September.  It wasn't for lack of things to say; rather, it was lack of time to say them. And some pesky joint inflammation issues that got in the way. And partly because my Facebook Artist's Page doesn't properly work despite my many efforts on its behalf. And because of my activity in writing thoughts and "comments" to post on Yahoo and Google news and political commentaries.  And very majorly because of my commitment to and enthusiasm about my new and what I believe will be my final music CD project! Therein reside the causes of my blogging lapse   :)

I dearly treasure every reader of my blogs; please check out my animal ministry blog and my healing the earth family blog and my personal website (links will be listed below).  And complete info about my new (and final) CD album is forthcoming. 

Also, I should mention that I am accepting a few new adult and teen piano students (enjoy learning note-reading, chords, ear training).  More than ever, Life Needs Music!  Thank you, as always.  Peace and Blessings ...
Clara  

Links to my other blogs and personal website:  http://animalministry.blogspot.com; http://healingtheearthfamily.blogspot.com; www.claralandau.com.

Animal Ministry Blog ...

Recently, I put together a fairly comprehensive list of organizations that rescue, protect, rehabilitate, and otherwise do very good things on behalf of our friends, the animals.  It is called Animal Ministry and/or Clara's Animal Ministry Resource.

The list is in random order and the blog itself contains wonderful pictures of animals very worthy of a look, along with my captions :)  This is a serious list and the intent of the blog is to provide information resources to people who are or would like to become advocates for animals and our environment.  I put it in blog format for several reasons:  1) I don't need to pay for domain name and space, 2) I'm familiar with blog format and design so I didn't need to learn anything new, and 3) people can send comments, stories, quotes, etc.

I hope you will check it out.  The link is http://animalministry.blogspot.com.

C'mon Spring !

Spring is on the way ... the daylight hours are getting longer :)  Trees are going through their annual state of confusion which they show by alternating the swelling of their buds with their holding-back syndrome.  Melodies float through my mind more copiously than in winter.  A huge flock of robins landed in my yard day before yesterday (I think they fled New England's recent weather) and they were visibly and audibly happy that there is no snow on the ground here in Knoxville!  My daffodils are up about three inches.  The sun is at that cusp-of-spring angle :)  The moon was beautifully full recently in Leo (it's always full in the sign directly across from where the sun is located ... and the sun has been in Aquarius).   

Life blossoms and renews in Spring and, perhaps on that note, I've created a blog entitled Clara's Animal Ministry Resource; it is at http://www.animalministry.blogspot.com.  Hope my readers will visit CAMR; it has nice animal pictures, some lovely profound quotes, and information about stellar animal advocacy people.

Happy Pre-Spring !

  

Worth The Wait ...

... for me, and I hope for my friends, fans, and all like-minded souls: my video entitled “Love vs Warzilla”.  I think it’s an important message.  We filmed this (it’s a speech that is scripted and delivered by me) back in August.  Then a number of circumstances stalled it.  But now it’s up and running!  In it you will learn how it got its name ... and other bold things are touched on, as well.  It feels like it's a brave video and it certainly gives a great deal of transparency to my feelings.  If you watch it, please view it all the way to the end to hear my song "I Love All The Voices".  Also on YouTube are music videos for two of my other songs ... “Dance with Me” (a “large” equally romantic and ethereal song that alludes to Life being the ultimate dance partner)  and “That’s The Way You Make Me Feel” (a sensuous song with techy facets).  All  video production was done by Dr. Donovan Stewart, who is an exceptionally fine chiropractor and luthier.  My songs, including the song at the end of the speech (I Love All The Voices) , were recorded and mastered at Songwriters Studio here in Knoxville with phenomenally talented William (Sandy) Garrett at the helm. 

The Love vs Warzilla speech and song I Love All The Voices links are https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOCCFYEZU88 and 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OltBCIZ6Gxw

The other songs are:
Dance With Me http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7T9FeK5e4c 
and
That's The Way You Make Me Feel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwXKGnpO3VE

   

My Amazing Birthday Ride !

A couple of weeks ago, I realized I wanted to do something BIG to celebrate my (then) upcoming birthday. Something different and exciting, but not dangerous.  Something friendly and kind but not common. I had seen the large bus that is parked in the Bearden section of Kingston  Pike in Knoxville (TN). And I had noticed that, after a while, a second bus had joined the first one.  Both of them are wildly and beautifully painted all over with colorful designs and phrases promoting love and peace.  So yes, this would be the perfect plan ... an exciting birthday treat without my needing to parachute out of an airplane :)  I made the call, reserved one of the buses, and Dixie Lee and I boarded the bus at 2:30 yesterday (September 1st) in front of our house. Dixie Lee, herself, had celebrated her own birthday recently ... her 12th, so she is an aging doggie but nonetheless took everything in stride and enjoyed the adventure.  

Our driver, whose name is Carlene, is a wonderful lady and a very skilled bus driver. As we drove around, I felt good as I realized I was sort of giving a gift to the community as well as myself.  People beeped their horns, waved their hands, and smiled ... as the Big Love Bus, with its complete set of sound effects and music, wove its way from one end of town to another. Something so cheerful was and is so majorly needed. We made a few scheduled stops, first going through a church parking lot where the few people still inside had been alerted that we'd be driving through (we sounded the sirens, bells, and whistles for their amusement); then we headed "north" and stopped in front of my best friend's house ... he came strolling across his lawn, camera in hand, and took some great pictures of the bus and one of me on the bus stairway. I asked Carlene to "play the animal sounds" and there was a chorus of moos, roars, and all sorts of animal noise, which was tolerated cheerfully by my friend and his neighbors  :)  We needed to be on our way to our next stop, the home of one of my stellar piano students.  On our approach, the bus zoomed past her house because we didn't see the house number in time, so we had to drive around and around to find a road that would loop back and that was wide enough to accommodate a turning bus. Finally we did get on the correct road again and, as we approached the house this time, Carlene said excitedly, "Oh, you're gonna love this ... it's so CUTE"! From her vantage point in the driver's seat, she could see the people in the yard and when we got there, my student and her boyfriend and their three dogs were in the yard, each wearing a little party hat. One of the dogs had her hat partially removed and was busily trying to eat it.  It was a fun stop for all of us.

How awesome to be a kid again for the hours we were on the Big Love Bus! The Bus has its own website and I think you can read its telephone number in one of the pictures I will post.  For those near Knoxville, I wholeheartedly recommend you check out the Big Love Bus :)    

 

Dreams, Innovations, Feelings ...

Recently, when thinking about music (well, that's nothing new!) I marveled at how some songs have the power to live, endure, inspire, and even blossom anew, long after their composers have left the earthly scene. Two of the songs I included on my legacy CD (which I'll be delighted to talk about in a moment) are old covers, written back in the 1930s and for which I got licenses to record.  I did change some of the lyrics -- not so much to make them contemporary, but so that they would more closely describe my own life happenings and experiences. And so, each of them lends itself well to me :) Those cover songs are Blue Moon by Rodgers & Hart and It Had To Be You by Jones & Kahn; I truly had an enjoyable time creating my arrangements of these evergreens. The other songs on the CD are among the very best of my originals. There are seventeen tracks in all.  

"Lifescape ... Dreams, Innovations, Feelings" is the CD title ... and the solo artist (vocals & keyboard recorded in real time) is yours truly, Clara ... the Lady Wolf.  Choosing songs to include was fun, though presented a few challenges because there are many more good ones than what could fit on a CD.  So I like each chosen song for the special feelings I have attached to it. Moods run the gamut (passion, pain, love, hope, and humor) and genres are blues, jazz, ballads, latinesque, and a couple that I would classify as inspirational. The project was expertly handled from inception to completion -- recording, mastering, art work and graphics design, and packaging -- by Songwriters Recording Studio in Knoxville, with creative, musical, technical genius William (Sandy) Garrett at the helm. I'm delighted with the CD  :)

As I said at the beginning of this post, some songs have the ability to seemingly live forever ... and that's a really good thing. I hope that many years from now, people will be listening, humming, singing, whistling, smiling, weeping, working, dancing, romancing, even exercising ... to my music! Of course, there's no need to wait -- now could be an excellent time.   :)

For more info, contact me via Comments or send an e-mail to claralandau@yahoo.com. 

Back In Blogland :) Clara's Autumnal Post --

My last post mentioned my previous absence and here I am again after another bunch of months away from my blog.  Apologies to readers and to my blog, itself.  The myriad of reasons I didn't post in such a long time includes the fact that I was doing a lot of introspection that was better left publicly unsaid.  On the heels of that came sweeping changes in my personal life, including a residential move.  Since February I've been preparing the house I now live in and going through separation anxiety with my former residence.  I'm a very sentimental person and that sentiment runs deep.  The new abode is much, much larger than the old one.   And it even has modern electrical outlets !  It's very nice :)

A persistent stream of family crises involving relatives hit the scene, too. For the most part those matters are still manifesting -- are unresolved, except in my mind -- where I've turned the corner and am good with that wonderful axiom "It is what it is"  :)  Tra la!  And I'm blessed to have the very most wonderful of friends with whom I can share life's ups and downs.

Here's some happy news I can give my readers who followed my posts about my dog's (past) serious medical problem:  She is in great shape now and, in August, celebrated her 11th birthday!  Dixie Lee is showing signs of age, but still scouts the yard tracking the scents of rabbits and squirrels; and she can break into an easy gallop in a split second when she wants to.
    
A couple of months ago I recorded two songs at Songwriters' Studio; they are my original "A New Face On The Blues" and my arrangement of cover "Blue Moon".  I need to put them up on my Reverbnation page. They turned out really well :)

I  now have three pianos (plus my Yamaha keyboard).  They are Buddy, Bunkie, and Bonnie.  Bunkie was in residence here when I moved in.  He's a great piano, though way different in style and character than Buddy the baby grand.  And Bonnie came to me via a neighbor on  my former street, who didn't want her anymore.  

Please do check out my website at http://www.claralandau.com -- which I updated yesterday -- new pictures, text edits, and some new stuff! 

Yes, I'm as upset as everyone about current and recent politics ... NSA spying , the Obamacare tax mandate, and an article I read a few days ago that reports on government vehicles and weapons being turned over to local police departments to use on Main Street, USA.  This points to the prediction I made months ago (when I hoped to be wrong) about local police departments being sort of "deputized" by the feds in order to prevent any perceived overt action of citizens against government policies.  

I'm ready to start jamming again, so I'd love to be in touch with musicians who are like-minded. I've got the space here now to jam; I also would love to find or form a hand-drum circle.  

We're heading into the "holiday season" ... hard to believe; it seems like yesterday was mid-summer.   Thanksgiving is, in my opinion, the most worthy of all holidays!  I know we should be thankful every day and I am, but I think that designating and celebrating a day in the spirit of thankfulness is a really good thing!   I wish a gracious and joyful Thanksgiving to each and all. 

Catching Up ...

I haven't posted on this blog for quite a while. It is my original blog.  If you have time to scroll back to older posts, there are some really spirited ones.

Please also visit my revised website at www.claralandau.com.

Meanwhile, I thought you might enjoy seeing a close-up photo of my Dixie Lee!

Thanks for looking in on us :)

Happy Springtime!

I've added a couple of pictures to Lady Wolf's Notes and several new pictures on Classic Clara at http://classicclara.blogspot.com.

We're on the threshold of Spring ... a delicious time of year! Anticipation ... breathe it in!

Jamming –

It felt good to jam with a band-in-the-making last Saturday. Although they don’t do my musical genre-of-choice, (they do southern rock), it was a fun day and their wives served up some great food. The music had a lot of repeat patterns and became almost like a meditation. Yamaha (my keyboard) said to me, "What have you got me doing now?" I replied, "Just do it, you'll never have it this easy again".

Knox area musicians – I’d love to get together with a local or regional blues and/or jazz band or with musical individuals. If this describes you, please contact me. There’s something magical about the energy that flows among musicians when they play together.

Please check out my website at www.claralandau.com.

House Concerts –

I’m getting word out in whatever ways I can that I’m wanting to do house concerts; you could say I’m soliciting them, because I am :) I’m eager to begin doing music performances again – at events, classy venues, people’s homes.

About My Music ...

On and off, over the past year or so, I’ve wondered (and I’ve done a bit of posting about this) whether, regarding some personal circumstances, I’d continue public music performances. At the same time, I’d added an awesome, new original ("Rainy Day Blues") and several cover songs to my list, so I was really at odds with myself. I was thrashing this out during the weeks immediately preceding the July 27 shooting attack. For a while after that event, my head and ear pain was not conducive to playing piano or singing.Little by little, and beginning with the creation of new song "Give Me A Warm Shoulder To Lean On", I began working with my music again, cherishing every moment of it. Soon my newest song, "I Feel Like Singing Again", came into being. I realize that my "work" isn’t over. I'm defining my work as teaching, performing, and carrying forth the concept of musical healing. A good amount of thought and deliberation and struggle brought me to a place in my heart and mind where I've made a decision -- the decision that I will do venue and event performances only in response to invitations to do so (will not be soliciting dates). I'm thinking now, with a smile, of something I often said in years past when promoting my humane education program: "Invite us, we'll come"! And ... my cozy home studio's musical welcome mat is forever extended to one and all, where I will always enjoy playing and singing jazz, blues, latinesque, torch, and light classical for fans and friends.

The Drama Of Life --

Two years ago, I completed a book of my musings and memoirs. The need to write an addendum has become obvious to me; I’ll work on that soon. Meanwhile ... I’ll dust the clouds, wink at the moon, and shake out the sequins! And what will that produce? I'm eager to discover the result!