Tag: countrymusic

The Music Sparkle.

A Little New Music.

Dawn - The Sparkle Diaries.5 Comments

As you know I love Country Music and I love Irish Music which means that I also love Irish Country Music.  We regularly watch Keep It Country TV and the pleasure it brings to my parents is fabulous.  As well as the newer songs and artists, which I have to admit, Mom has a great eye and ear for the talent, we have been introduced to American Country Artists and sometimes we hear the old songs, the songs of bygone days in Ireland which my parents remember well.  You Tube is also a regular in our home, we really think there isn’t anything you can’t locate on You Tube.  Any song from the past that my parents think of, we can locate someone singing it on You Tube!

I thought I’d do a little round up of the latest Irish Country releases and share them with you.  You may already be a fan or perhaps I will introduce you to some of the fabulous talent currently taking the country music world by storm.  I hope you enjoy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lCebn2drx4

First up is Lisa McHugh and “Girl with a Fishing Rod” – very catchy song and I just love this video.

Derek Ryan is the most amazing singer songwriter, we have so many of his albums, all filled with his own compositions and a few covers.  I’ve seen Derek three times, twice at a dance and once in concert – excellent nights out.  This latest song is another huge hit for him and captures the magic of a festival night where he is appearing.

This is my song of the summer – such a happy video, everyone is smiling broadly and the sheer enjoyment of the dancing is plain to see – absolutely love this.  Michael English is another fabulous singer/songwriter.  Michael also has his own show on Keep it Country TV, Monday night at 11pm, repeated on Sunday afternoon at 5pm.

No round up would be complete without the fantastic Nathan Carter, I’ve now lost count of the times I have been to see Nathan perform!  This is a real chill out, summer holiday vibe kind of song and I have found myself “na na, na na na na na” at random times throughout the day.

This is a beautiful song from Johnny Brady, a wonderful sentiment and sang with real meaning.

I hope you have enjoyed my selection of the latest Irish music releases; I think Cliona Hagan and Michael English both have new singles coming out soon so some more new music coming soon.

 

The Music Sparkle.

Mixed up Music.

Dawn - The Sparkle Diaries.Leave a comment

My visit to my vocal coach on Monday was brilliant.  I always look forward to my session and I am constantly amazed at how my voice is improving, the clarity of notes, the pitch and the resonance.  If feels wonderful, because I am doing something I love and also following a dream.

I’ve started over the past few months to download backing tracks and print off lyrics and learn the songs and the music, to inject emotion and passion although my confidence to do this is still not very good.

Last Monday I sang “Rose Garden” made famous by Lyn Anderson and more recently by Martina McBride. From there I moved to “Love of the Loved” by Cilla Black.  A totally amazing song written by Lennon and McCartney in the early Sixties and was Cilla’s first single which I think entered the charts at Number 35 and she was disappointed at that.  I first heard this song when I watched the film/documentary “Cilla” a couple of weeks ago.  What a story.  I think it made an impact on me because I grew up to the sounds of Cilla, I remember my family watching “The Cilla Black Show” on Saturday evenings and I remember Cilla hosting “Blind Date” and “Surprise Surprise” she was definitely a UK national treasure.  This film brought to life her start and the whole music scene in Liverpool in the early Sixties, her friendship with Ringo Starr and the Beatles, singing at The Cavern, the fashion of the time and her wonderful friendship/relationship/romance with Bobby Willis who became her husband and was her only love.  A truly fabulous story and I fell in love with that song, “Love of the Loved”.  It is not easy to sing, it jumps up and down and there are a lot of lyrics to fit into a few bars of music but I still loved singing it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgTm8QkP3kc

From there I made a complete change to a rock song, “Home Sweet Home” by Motley Crue. Oh yes, a big change from Country Music and The Sixties.  I have loved this song since I heard it in the 1990’s and wow – can I belt it out too – it is in my vocal comfort zone but still needs a lot of practice to perfect it.

 

So a few new songs to learn here, to sing out clear and brightly, to inject the emotion and to gain confidence.  To record on my iPad and listen back to, to see where I can change a note or a phrase to make it mine.

Video’s shared from You Tube – I hope it is ok to do this, I just wanted you to get a feel of my mixed up music this week.

Thank you for reading my blog.

 

 

 

 

The Music Sparkle.

Sunday Evening Country Music.

Dawn - The Sparkle Diaries.Leave a comment

As you know I love to sing and I enjoy going to gigs to see my favourite singers, especially of the Irish Country kind. Music is an escape for me. It takes me into another world. I love singing the songs I remember from childhood and also new songs which I hear and have to make a note of immediately in case I forget them. I have a list on my iPad of songs to learn, songs to put my own mark on, to play around with how I can sing them. My head is always full of music, songs, dreams…

Last Sunday evening I was lucky enough to attend a wonderful concert. “Stars of Irish Country”. It was a fabulous evening. From long time singers such as John Hogan and Frank McCaffrey to a Queen of Irish Country, Louise Morrissey to the up and coming talents of Lee Matthews and Tracey Macauley. They were brilliant. From hits from the past to new material, engaging the audience, including the audience and singing their hearts out. The backing band “Keltic Storm” are awesome musicians and complimented the artists perfectly.

During the interval and after the show we had the opportunity to meet the stars and purchase their CD’s. I have waited two years for Lee Matthews to visit England and I wasn’t disappointed. A truly lovely lad who can really sing and entertain. He’ll surely go places. Meeting John Hogan was a delight, a favourite of my parents he is a true gentleman and with a unique voice. I can still hear him singing “Please help me I’m falling, in love with you”, in my head, just beautiful.

I was so happy to meet Louise Morrissey again. It has been a very long time since we met and she was still singing with her brothers then. A pitch perfect voice with such clarity and power, an inspiration. 

It was the sort of evening you just want to relive over and over again, a rare evening out for me these days and a very happy one.  If you get a chance, check some of their video’s out on You Tube.

A few pictures below of the evening.

The Music Sparkle.

A little bit of Dolly…

Dawn - The Sparkle Diaries.2 Comments

Like most Country Music fans I love Dolly Parton. Her songs, her quotes, her style and her humour, to name but a few reasons why. 

It has taken about 4 months but I have finally mastered singing ‘Why’d ja come in here looking like that”. I thought I’d never get there!!  I just couldn’t get the lyrics to fit the music. The first few times I attempted to sing it I was out of breath in seconds. I started to wonder why I’d chosen such a difficult song. As the week’s went on and I still couldn’t sing it, I began to wonder if I ever would manage to sing it without keeling over and requiring medical attention and then one day… I just sang it. No breathlessness, no couldn’t get the words to fit the music, no incorrect key change…the girl had got it!!!

Picture via Pinterest

I’m still practising this fabulous song, I want to bring my own emotion to it, to live it when I sing it. If I just think of my own boyfriend in Cowboy boots that will inject the correct level of surprise into my voice.

I have two further Dolly songs on my list; “If I could fly” and “Better get to livin”. I find I am choosing songs which not only challenge my ability but which also have meaning for me.  

My amazing vocal coach said that only a lack of self confidence and self belief would hold me back. If I am to make any kind of headway at all I must start to throw myself into this heart and soul. I am a confident person but I’m not good at self promotion. I believe God gave me a voice and now is my time to use this talent. I can do this!!!


Picture via Pinterest.

Thank you for reading my blog.

The Music Sparkle.

Musical Dreams and Keeping it Country.

Dawn - The Sparkle Diaries.3 Comments

Recently I have been lucky enough to attend the gigs of three of my favourite Irish singers, John McNicholl, Nathan Carter and Derek Ryan. I grew up listening to Irish country music, Mam says I was trying to sing long before I could talk and used to pull myself up in my cot to wiggle to the music, long before I could walk. My uncle was in an Irish Showband and after playing in Birmingham on the night of my christening, the whole band arrived at my parents flat and played all night. 

I was always singing around our home, my parents used to ask why I couldn’t learn my schoolwork like I could learn the top twenty. I suppose I just loved songs and singing. Visiting my family in Tipperary as a teenager, my cousin and I were allowed to the dancehall in Dundrum to see the Irish Showbands on a Friday night. Tony Kenny, Red Hurley and my absolute favourites, Gina, Dale Haze and The Champions.  Once home I would pretend I was Gina, I sang to their records, bought a tambourine like Gina and our lounge was my stage.

  
When I was 19 an Irish music promoter telephoned to call me for an audition but my parents didn’t tell me, for three years!!! I was mad as hell but looking back I can see they were looking out for a very niave young girl.

As life moved on, I grew away from my roots and started to go clubbing, I loved dance music and dancing but I hardly ever sang. I lost touch with the top twenty, with my roots, my culture. Life was work, work, work and dance music. Dancing on a Friday night released the stress and pressure of the week. Housework was done to dance music, that trance beat had an euphoric affect on me and still does. A little bit of Swedish House Mafia is good for the soul.

Three years ago I joined the choir at Mass. I love it, it has compleltely enriched going to Mass for me. I always enjoyed singing the hymns but being part of the choir is just awesome. Around the same time, Mom was reading the Irish paper and seen John McNicholl so we decided to look him up on YouTube. Within a flash I was right back to my roots, I think it was lying asleep, like Sleeping Beauty, ready to be awakened by a handsome man, John McNicholl was that man!!

From there we discovered the other new, exciting and fabulous singers and now we listen to Irish Country Music all the time. We watch Irish Country Music shows on TV and when I can I attend the dances and concerts when our favourites are in town.

Last year I decided to have some vocal coaching, to see if I do actually have a voice. I love it!! I love it with a passion. Singing and songs have again taken over my mind and with life as it is currently, this is a huge escape from the anxieties, stresses and worries of the day. I have learnt so much about pitching, resonance, different voices, breathing…I am once again dreaming of being on that stage singing my heart out.

Below are some pictures of me with my gorgeous Irish music stars, I think you’ll guess my favourite 😉 Look their music up on You Tube, they are so talented, each different to the other and all brilliant.

Thank you for reading my blog 😀

   
Derek Ryan.

 
John McNicholl.

  
Nathan Carter.

  
Making dreams come true 💖