Monday, March 8, 2010

Bird in a Cage - Original Song (With Video!)

 Well on Saturday I got a video recorded on one of my original songs "Bird in a Cage" and wanted to share it with you all. I wrote this one back in November and I really like the basic bones of the song, it just still needs some tweaking and embellishment particularly in the guitar area. It's a big leap for me to be sharing a song for two reasons.

 One: My songs are a part of me and when sharing them, especially for critique, it's like putting a bit of my soul on display. With encouragement from my brother, I'm working on getting past that and whether I do well or totally suck, growing from my experiences and developing as a singer songwriter. So putting a video of my singing on youtube, I see as an accomplishment in a strange way.

 Two: I am my BIGGEST critic. In general I'm a huge music critic and I hold a high standard of what I call "good music". I can't always measure up to my own standards and it's hard to admit that. But I am doing my best to grow and to become better, even if I never become as good of a singer/guitar player/songwriter as I would like.

So without further ado....
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAWpy-raZeA

[Verse 1]
I'm a bird in a cage
Come take me away
So I can sing
La la...

I'm a prisoner within
Remove my chains
So I can dance
La la...

[Chorus]
I put myself in that cage
Now I cant seem to get away
Will you come and rescue me?
Wash my mistakes all clean?
Cause Im my own enemy
I blind my own eyes so I cant see
Can You come and do something with whats left of me?
I want to be free.

[Verse 2]
Get me out of this cage
I just want to run away
To you, to you - La, la, la

[Bridge]
Freedom is what I was looking for
Freedom is looming before me like an open door
So I'll jump into the unknown

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Goodbye Lullaby (Original Song)

  I said awhile back that I would post a few of my songs and that's precisely what I am doing right now. The first song I'll share is "Goodbye Lullaby", a song I wrote for World Aids day back in December. It's my brother Sam's favorite of my songs as well as one that we co-wrote the melody for when he was home on winter break about a week ago.
  Hopefully we'll get a video or good recording of it to share when he comes home for spring break in about a week, but for now, here are the lyrics and I hope you enjoy! 


[Verse 1]
As the sky fades to black // Life will never be the same // As she says goodbye to the child in her arms // She knows that she’s the reason / her baby has to die // The disease that holds her body / makes her infant son cry// Yet she sings…


[Chorus] 
Hush little darling 
Can’t you see it’s time for sleep
Hush, little darling 
You’re safe with me
So close your eyes 
Mama will sing you a lullaby


[Verse 2] 
All that night she held him // Soothed him when he cried // Until the sun arose / and she was glad there was no more night // She looked down at her baby / chest rising no more // Through her tears she sings…


[Bridge] 
Some night when she is lonely
She still sings her lullaby 
And when does, tears are never far behind 

(Copy-write Olivia Erickson, 2009)

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Abigail's Blog Parade

 My dear friend Abigail Kraft is having a lovely blog party so head over and check it out! 


What's your favorite time of the day, and why?
 I am a total Night Owl! Oh my, I have so much energy between 10pm and 2am it's almost crazy. That's when I do my best writing, poetry, songwriting, crafting, thinking, and organizing done at.


 I also love the time between 6:30am and 10am or anytime when things are still in the house. I haven't gotten up early lately because of the MN winter... but in the summer, spring, and fall I like to get up and have my quiet time before the house starts to stir. 

 If health wasn't an issue, what food could you live off of?

 Chocolate... lots and lots of chocolate....

 If you could have one wish granted (besides wishing for more wishes), what would it be?

 Oooo... this is a toughy. Currently I wish for an ity bity black baby sister. I know, our adoption of our two adorable little boys is not yet complete, but a girl can dream, right? 

 What's one thing that you get teased about a lot?

 Oh man... I get teased so often about so many things... but the most would probably be how much I talk

 If you could choose one movie, book, or TV show to spend your life in, which would you pick? What type of character would you be?

 After thinking it over a bit... Anne of Green Gables would be perfect. 


  Living in Nova Scotia on Prince Edward Island would be so amazing!! I've always had a kindred spiritness with Anne as well. We both talk too much, have big imaginations, have a bad temper, and love "The Lady of Shallot" (by Lord Alfred Tennyson). Also, I've had a crush on Glibert since I was five... 

 If you could have one talent that you don't already have, what would it be?
 Hmmm... I think to be able to ski like Lindsey Vonn. I love skiing and was even thinking of joining the ski team last year, but it's a really spendy sport. I've always gone skiing with people who have skied since they could walk, so I've always been the worst in my group and it would be awesome to REALLY be able to ski.





 If money were no object, where would you go on vacation?
 A leisurely tour of the UK. I couldn't decide between England and Ireland... so I would go to both! And go visiting castles in Scotland and goind to Iceland and maybe even Wales... yes... that would be positively DIVINE!! 

 If you were an awesome singer, which genre would you sing?

 Well I am a singer... not awesome at all... but a singer non the less and I think I would stick with my current genre of acoustic coffee shop feeling music with a bit of a jazz and folk twist. Just think of Sara Bareillles, Regina Spector, Sara Groves, and JJ Heller with maybe a twist of Nora Jones. 

 If you could have a $10,000 shopping spree to one store, what would it be?

 I want to say the largest thrift store in the world... but that would be too much stuff. So I think Barnes and Nobel would be awesome. Or Target. Target would probably be the most realistic and I love Target. :D

 If you could live in any point in time, when would it be?

 Late 1700s - early 1800s... oh, in England. Yes, I may have been reading too many Jane Austen novels and British Litt this year, but I truly love it! Oh, to wear cap sleeved empire waist dresses every day and go to town balls. It would be epic!

 If every outfit in your wardrobe had to be one color, what would it be?

 Yellow. :D 


 If you were one of the seven dwarves, which one would you be? (Doc, Grumpy, Sneezy, Sleepy, Bashful, Happy, or Dopey)
  Well today I am literally Sneezy, but if I could chose, I would definitely be Happy.

 What's the last album you listened to?

 Phantom of the Opera soundtract - the version from the London stage.

 What's something we'd be surprised to know about you?

 It's my secret dream to join the circus. 
 Okay, not really.... truthfully... I'd say the fact that I want to work with prostitutes and sex slaves particularly in the counseling/rehabilitating process is usually a shocker to most people.