tag:thesonginmyhead.co.uk,2005:/blogs/the-blog-in-my-head?p=2The Blog In My Head2020-04-25T15:06:10+01:00thesonginmyhead.co.ukfalsetag:thesonginmyhead.co.uk,2005:Post/62942632020-04-25T15:06:10+01:002020-04-25T15:11:31+01:00NEW RELEASE - Manuscript Book with Music Theory Guide<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JXWHRdud-g0" width="560"></iframe></p>thesonginmyhead.co.uktag:thesonginmyhead.co.uk,2005:Post/62385872020-03-05T20:21:29+00:002020-03-05T20:21:29+00:00Et Voilà! Songwriter Journals now available in French<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/345328/4bc0cf02fa535a388bbb16d1d3449b2a3cda47f8/original/img-0850.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>thesonginmyhead.co.uktag:thesonginmyhead.co.uk,2005:Post/62240362020-02-22T17:51:23+00:002020-02-22T17:51:23+00:00Creativity tips for the tough writing days<p>Our tips for those harder writing days should your confidence in your ability fail and writer’s block subsequently kick in… </p>
<p>We all get them.</p>
<p>We would like to suggest that at the root of this negative spiral might lie the perception that failure is the consequence and more specifically… humiliation! </p>
<p>But there are never ever any guaranteed outcomes with any kind of creativity whatever the level we’re at, so let’s unpack this and investigate what can we all do to help ameliorate those bad days, (especially if we’re on a deadline!) and look at just how we can readjust our exaggerated perception of negative consequences: </p>
<p>1. Return immediately to remembering the passion that lead you down the musical path in the first place. The mind functions best with pictures and emotions, so recall some good memories of happier creative times, may be when you were ‘in the flow,’ and revisit them, but more importantly, ‘feel’ the feelings of that particular occasion again, as in actually dwell on them to ‘shift’ your emotional state out of your current fug. Note - it could be a happy occasion that is entirely unrelated to writing music. </p>
<p>2. Don’t focus on the negatives of that unproductive day - they will only self-perpetuate. Feeding limiting beliefs like… ‘I’m useless’ is dysfunctional and excessive to the exclusion of pieces of factual information… like that you are actually really passionate about music, are naturally talented, and/or may even have written some wonderful music already. Words are powerful and can create further resistance on a bad day, so choose them wisely in your self chat. </p>
<p>3. None of us can control everything - a lack of ideas, a bad review, the weather of course, but we CAN control the quality of our thoughts. However, the best willpower and desire to write good music will never be able to counteract the distraction of limiting beliefs if you give them oxygen, so don’t! Walk away do something different for a while and then revert to point number 1. Not giving limiting beliefs oxygen is the difference between success and failure, in the attempting or the not. </p>
<p>And always remember, there will be days like this. For all of us at all levels, so you are never alone. But just like the weather, they do pass.</p>thesonginmyhead.co.uktag:thesonginmyhead.co.uk,2005:Post/61397152020-01-22T13:56:04+00:002020-01-22T13:56:04+00:00The questions of quality and quantity<p>We sell our Songwriter Cards on Amazon. It's a way of being able to fulfill orders when we also lead busy lives making music as professional musicians. However, churning out factory-made products in China for speed and volume was never ever on the cards, pun intended. It was always important to us that the physical Songwriter Cards reflected the very thought and care that we put into their concept and creation. So the Songwriter Cards are printed in the UK, on paper from sustainably managed forests, by a family-run enterprise. That ticked our quality control box. The quantity? Well, inspirational cards tend to average around 50 individual cards a deck, but we wanted to create as comprehensive a tool as possible, so there are 105 Songwriter Cards in our deck. The decks have also been Anglocised and Americanized for the two main English speaking markets.</p>
<p>So we've tried to be authentic to our own standards of quality and quantity and we hope that that ticks your boxes too.</p>thesonginmyhead.co.uktag:thesonginmyhead.co.uk,2005:Post/61338482020-01-20T00:38:12+00:002020-01-20T00:38:12+00:00The Songwriter Journal is now available in German<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/345328/ad8c5cec673b1c3e27479b5f8e41307fbf624a56/original/32ea058b-fb4c-4f05-b839-c94f4636e824.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>thesonginmyhead.co.uktag:thesonginmyhead.co.uk,2005:Post/60584662020-01-03T17:24:44+00:002020-01-03T17:24:44+00:00Happy New Year!<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/345328/0e0ee731cf8aa0a7650b53c01676d8f78c3005af/original/img-7388.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">"MY MISSION IN LIFE IS NOT MERELY TO SURVIVE, BUT TO THRIVE; </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">AND TO DO SO WITH SOME PASSION, SOME COMPASSION, SOME HUMOUR, AND SOME STYLE.'" - MAYA ANGELOU</p>
<p>Work in progress!</p>thesonginmyhead.co.uktag:thesonginmyhead.co.uk,2005:Post/60389312019-12-22T13:59:59+00:002020-01-20T00:39:26+00:00Quite a turn up for the book<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/345328/de66d5dd5d3666a3f4c9283128dc03e91e021d7d/original/img-0766.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /> Thank you to everyone who has bought our journal and turned us into a Best Seller, we are blown away! The best bit is yet to come... the new songs that will unfold on their pages.</p>thesonginmyhead.co.uktag:thesonginmyhead.co.uk,2005:Post/60308292019-12-19T16:33:08+00:002019-12-19T16:33:08+00:00Wise words from Ari Herstand<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/345328/cdcab2b175907a8150baab68163548edfa9ab150/original/ari-herstand.png/!!/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" />A fount of music industry acumen, <a contents="Ari Herstand" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://ariherstand.com" target="_blank">Ari Herstand</a> is both an inspiration and a thought leader. We highly recommend his book 'How To Make It In The New Music Industry,' everything you need to know is within its pages. You're very welcome.</p>thesonginmyhead.co.uktag:thesonginmyhead.co.uk,2005:Post/60192722019-12-14T18:21:01+00:002019-12-14T18:21:01+00:00Music should not feel like a competitive sport<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/345328/cc1f221f25ee5371fb88919edf380d7a018a9d10/original/h-me-i-dont-like-group-activities-based-on-success-models-its-hard-to-participate-with-music-that-comes-across-as-sport.png/!!/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" />Wise words from singer-songwriter, bassist, rapper and 10 times Grammy nominee, Meshell Ndegeocello. </p>thesonginmyhead.co.uktag:thesonginmyhead.co.uk,2005:Post/59914912019-12-04T15:49:25+00:002019-12-04T15:51:07+00:00Thank you for your patience<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="vmVV7jn1jIY" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/vmVV7jn1jIY/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vmVV7jn1jIY?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>thesonginmyhead.co.uktag:thesonginmyhead.co.uk,2005:Post/59896522019-12-03T11:39:04+00:002019-12-03T11:41:03+00:00Counteract the cortisol<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/345328/ef00fd15bd8d6d1e7c49c8dff01e99138e4a417b/original/the-stress-hormone-cortisol-jammed-on-damages-your-brain-and-further-down-the-track-your-body.png/!!/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" />When cortisol, the stress hormone becomes is chronically imbalanced and then ignored, it can become a metabolism and health wrecker. But there's lots of ways to reduce our cortisol levels and music, both the making of it and listening to it is one. Another great reason to write songs!</p>thesonginmyhead.co.uktag:thesonginmyhead.co.uk,2005:Post/59883462019-12-02T16:13:48+00:002019-12-02T16:13:48+00:00Self belief is the 25th key<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/345328/46d58198126e719eb7581f67cad82b96f3abfb64/original/the-whole-world-may-give-you-support-but-you-if-your-own-mind-does-not-support-you-you-will-not-be-in-a-position-to-do-anything-in-life-yogi-bhajan.png/!!/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" />Switch on some self-belief along with those songs that are germinating inside your head.</p>thesonginmyhead.co.uktag:thesonginmyhead.co.uk,2005:Post/59868442019-12-01T14:43:38+00:002019-12-01T14:43:38+00:00Jumping for joy<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/345328/3f79a1b83ca8b7aeabd7dc895dcf8798640335bc/original/bd96622e-a815-47c9-af19-1e532cff70a4.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /> A little jump for joy to say thank you to all those who are taking a leap of faith with our Songwriter Journals and Cards. We hope that they will help you to create all the songs in your head.</p>
<p>Warmest regards,</p>
<p>Kathy & Kiki</p>thesonginmyhead.co.uktag:thesonginmyhead.co.uk,2005:Post/59844712019-11-29T11:33:28+00:002019-11-29T11:33:28+00:00On Living Artfully<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/345328/648f1ef9e39b4b012e22c95b656286fa96a6745e/original/i-think-everythin-in-life-is-art-what-you-do-how-you-dress-they-way-you-love-someone-how-you-talk-your-smile-your-personality-what-you-believe-in-all-your-dreams-the-way-you-drink-your-tea-how-you-decora.png/!!/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" />We love what actor Helena Bonham Carter has to say on living artfully and couldn't agree more. Make life eclectic!</p>thesonginmyhead.co.uktag:thesonginmyhead.co.uk,2005:Post/59833742019-11-28T13:40:49+00:002019-11-28T13:40:49+00:00Happy Thanksgiving 2019!<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/345328/73784ce0967e4cacfcec5f81c8575c84422efc43/original/thanksgiving-2019.png/!!/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" />Wishing all our US friends a happy Thanksgiving. Remember: being musical is a gift.</p>thesonginmyhead.co.uktag:thesonginmyhead.co.uk,2005:Post/59682382019-11-21T18:01:51+00:002019-11-21T18:01:51+00:00Reflecting back at you Gareth!<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/345328/df2aae9f307635a8cfa33f71334014968dc7850e/original/genius-gareth-malone-obe.png/!!/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" />We agree, he is! Thank you Gareth for such a generous reaction to our cards.</p>thesonginmyhead.co.uktag:thesonginmyhead.co.uk,2005:Post/59654052019-11-19T12:11:16+00:002019-11-19T12:11:16+00:00Listen<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/345328/0f955de11014471ef54c235312e91b0f7a0501c5/original/beyonc.png/!!/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>thesonginmyhead.co.uktag:thesonginmyhead.co.uk,2005:Post/59638722019-11-18T00:18:45+00:002019-11-18T00:18:45+00:00Wait for it<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/345328/6e9d1fe1d47272f5ffae20516786b92c71e3500e/original/stand-up-and-go.png/!!/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>thesonginmyhead.co.uktag:thesonginmyhead.co.uk,2005:Post/59634602019-11-17T15:49:36+00:002019-11-19T17:09:16+00:00When a Grammy Award winner leaves us lost for words<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/345328/8d6d2a63361c644557cc9b3170e65ebf3dccebfc/original/short-on-ideas-grab-a-card-it-works.png/!!/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>thesonginmyhead.co.uktag:thesonginmyhead.co.uk,2005:Post/59588212019-11-13T10:40:46+00:002019-11-13T10:40:46+00:00Happy Kindness Day<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/345328/6142f9fed4ffeb38ea16e6b37000bdf73b5471e4/original/happy-kindness-day.png/!!/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>thesonginmyhead.co.uktag:thesonginmyhead.co.uk,2005:Post/59584482019-11-13T01:02:58+00:002019-11-13T01:02:58+00:00Available now on Amazon.com<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/345328/67da717848756f957576733e968f6d7e7c395abf/original/songwriter-cards-ps-01.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>thesonginmyhead.co.uktag:thesonginmyhead.co.uk,2005:Post/59576472019-11-12T12:38:51+00:002019-11-12T12:38:51+00:00The Songwriter Cards Are On Their Way<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/345328/e1c83b33b859492a2bc5923b41f621a2edf2050a/original/coming.png/!!/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>thesonginmyhead.co.uktag:thesonginmyhead.co.uk,2005:Post/59480272019-11-03T13:37:42+00:002019-11-03T13:37:42+00:00New Track by The Song In My Head Founders<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/345328/f3bd461162ef699fa632286446de55d1c47b3aa3/original/always-believe-in-miracles-2.png/!!/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_large">Available on all streaming platforms, artist name: KAKI</span></p>thesonginmyhead.co.uktag:thesonginmyhead.co.uk,2005:Post/59278262019-10-16T00:04:54+01:002019-11-12T12:47:06+00:00Getting on your Vagus nerve<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/345328/50ec15923f8ed3fce382cde9e7f4ef4305733990/original/violet-white-dapper-mens-fashion-instagram-post.png/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.png" class="size_s justify_left border_" /></p>
<p>People write autobiographies very young now. Footballers, we're looking at you. Then life experience accumulates with age and can get all soap opera-y in the process, but who has the attention span to read all that anymore?</p>
<p>However, there's always room for more music to be written, because music has therapeutic properties. Music stimulates the Vagus nerve that activates our parasympathetic system, which is our 'rest and digest' nervous system. It's a long and wandering nerve leading all the way down to the abdomen, and listening to music will trigger it. But it is also connected to our vocal chords and the muscles at the back of the throat, so even a hum or a gargle will stimulate it. Better still, full-blown singing will help increase your Vagal tone and then your body will be able to relax much more quickly after stress.</p>
<p>So singing blue football chants is good for you! As is gargling.</p>thesonginmyhead.co.uktag:thesonginmyhead.co.uk,2005:Post/58464122019-08-03T18:27:30+01:002019-08-03T18:27:30+01:00The Wonder of Stevie<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/345328/1ac712713b70531e6a5893f5a9a16469a09c2ed8/original/img-1491.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><br> </p>thesonginmyhead.co.uktag:thesonginmyhead.co.uk,2005:Post/58260112019-07-16T13:49:35+01:002019-07-16T13:49:35+01:00Mwah!<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="rOniIzLhj6k" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/rOniIzLhj6k/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rOniIzLhj6k?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>thesonginmyhead.co.uktag:thesonginmyhead.co.uk,2005:Post/57591902019-05-18T13:54:08+01:002019-07-16T13:53:23+01:00Way-WORD<p>It’s not hard to feel creative and empowered when you are under the nurturing eye of the grande dame of creativity herself - Julia Cameron, she of the auspicious The Artist's Way, the book that has allegedly sold 4 million copies and unblocked the brains of the artistically stuck and the inhibited around the world. The book, as well as being a twelve week course to rediscover one's creative self, seems also to bring a sense of community to this scattered global tribe, artists who are often more used to working in isolation… and self doubt. </p>
<p>So imagine being gathered with a group of such like-minded individuals under her tutelage for a weekend, cocooned in the beauty of London’s Regents Park and drinking in the encouragement that she radiated. There we unblocked our subconscious limiting beliefs through a series of playful ‘stream of consciousness’ exercises. These both exposed our deepest insecurities and unravelled them too as we shared revelations with our fellow classmates. There was laughter, a few impromptu tears and much joy. Strangers became friends. </p>
<p>Her famous routine of ‘morning pages’ a three page, free-writing mind dump, both frees up operating space in the brain to make room for creative thought and excavates the intuitive whispers normally drowned out by our monkey minds. And it is this very concept that supports our reasoning for creating the Songwriter Journal as opposed to a digital app. Writing by hand you see, both slows the mind and unlocks intuition, which catalyses creative ideas.</p>
<p>So will you join our growing tribe of hand writing songwriters?</p>
<p>And as an added bonus for your brain, the Songwriter Journal emits no harmful EMFs. Save that exposure for your studio time!</p>thesonginmyhead.co.uktag:thesonginmyhead.co.uk,2005:Post/57483872019-05-09T16:03:32+01:002019-05-09T21:55:23+01:00It’s all relative<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/345328/8dcb3c4854602f6798e2b4b5d1fae3d2fdc7d35d/original/screen-shot-2019-05-09-at-15-59-15.png/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.png" class="size_xl justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>When does a relative major become a relative minor?</p>
<p>In a divorce?</p>
<p>Anyone confused by the term 'related keys' in music, don’t be. These are purely keys that share the same key signatures, (those cute little sharps and flats), but with the tonal centres being different. C major and A minor are related for example, although may be that's not the best choice in this instance, because their key signatures have neither sharps nor flats! However, play both their root chords and you will hear that striking difference. Switching to a related major or minor key is a cool songwriting device and can be a useful tool for improvising too. </p>
<p>Inside our songwriting journal we’ve created a Circle of Fifths chart which illustrates this within it and will help you wrap your head around all the related keys. Go experiment brothers and sisters...</p>thesonginmyhead.co.uktag:thesonginmyhead.co.uk,2005:Post/57439902019-05-05T23:17:00+01:002019-05-06T03:11:13+01:00Spark Joy<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/345328/88a7fc1f464d1785314d3d2ea546bc818c188142/original/img-3589-montage-abbey-road-studio-book-recadr-b-w-green-logo-flowers.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_xl justify_center border_none" alt="The Song In My Head Songwriter Journal Abbey at Road Studios" />We're evidently sparking both joy and clutter, (sorry Marie Kondo!) because we have birthed a songwriter journal which we hope will both take up space in your lives and bags, whilst also triggering your creative joy! </p>
<p>Our journal popped up at Abbey Road Studios this weekend, which made us so happy! The street is so named because of the nearby presence of the long-gone Kilburn Priory... which segues us neatly to the Abbess Hildegard de Bingen, of no connection to that priory, but she was one of us... a songwriter! A prolific one.</p>
<p>And the journal was in good company there, because the famous zebra crossing at Abbey Road sparks both joy and clutter too, the delighted tourists doing their Beatles poses in the rain whilst blocking the flow of London traffic. Wonderful theatre!</p>
<p>Which is probably what the drivers were thinking too.</p>thesonginmyhead.co.uktag:thesonginmyhead.co.uk,2005:Post/57416092019-05-03T18:02:54+01:002019-05-03T18:02:54+01:00Turning Up and Tuning Up<p>Welcome to a passion project of two seasoned musicians Kathy Brown & Jean Michel ‘Kiki’ Aublette. We hope that this little songwriting notebook will be carried in the instrument cases and bags of grassroots musicians the world over, ready to be pulled out whenever inspiration strikes.</p>
<p>This songwriting journal also makes an excellent gift for birthdays, Christmas, Mother’s Day, back-to-school, or graduation. Available on Amazon across six countries and in Barnes and Noble, (see Stockists for details).</p>
<p>We hope to play a part in triggering songwriting creativity!</p>
<p>Warmest regards,</p>
<p>Kathy & Kiki</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/345328/efc78eb82cc91f8d5992cbb924822437c7565761/original/kaki-photo-profil.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_" /></p>thesonginmyhead.co.uk