Zane Musa – the first time I saw him play was at a small, hole in the wall jazz joint. It was the summer of 2005 and I was on one of my first visits to Los Angeles from Germany, where the guitarist Greg Porée and I had met working at a small theatre in […]
I have always loved French chansons which definitely derives from my strong affinity with the French culture – and I am not only referring to the delicious food. I was thrilled to start learning French at middle school and very excited about being able to count to ten, say bonjour, merci, oui and non after […]
It was just one of these mornings. Lying there in bed, I felt as if my life was washing over me like a big grey wave, the murky waters were draining off, revealing bit of useless debris. My music and my writing, appeared like mere fragments; ideas lied scattered everywhere; unfinished poems, unsold CDs, unwritten essays. And ideas were just […]
Frances Livings’ Ipanema Lounge I am very excited to announce that we have almost finished recording a new 12-song world jazz album called “Ipanema Lounge”. The songs range from dramatic and emotional, melancholic, to up-tempo, fun and groovy. Atmospherically, the recordings create a blend of Southern European sounding music and Latin jazz – I have not only sung […]
When a couple of weeks ago, I was asked to pick a children’s piece to record as a segment for a voice-over demo, a cute little poem came to mind – something with sneezing. Via Dr. Google it was quickly retrieved on the internet. Here are the first lines: Christopher Robin Had wheezles And sneezles, They […]
Sun at Midnight by Joseph Mary Plunkett and Frances Livings I saw the sun at midnight, rising red, Deep-hued yet glowing, heavy with the stain Of blood-compassion, and I saw it gain Swiftly in size and growing till It spread Over […]
Rapid technological development has led to a constant flood of visual and acoustic bits and bites – emails, text messages and Facebook updates. For most of us it has become a habit to react, one that often leaves us frazzled and detached. Single-tasking has become a luxury in the 21st century. To sit down and […]
It’s true. Most transplants here in Los Angeles are quite obsessed with detecting and pointing out how different things are. I belong to them. One of the things that struck me immediately on my first visit to L.A. in 2006 was fashion – rather, the lack thereof. Despite fashion apparel being L.A.’s third biggest industry, […]
I wrote the ballad Please Close Your Eyes, after a love affair ended. I knew that it would, one day – that I would walk away because that’s what lies frequently in the nature of a relationship with a lover. But I also knew that in the end, it would hurt. That’s when I wrote the […]
Desiderata by Max Ehrmann (1927) Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and the ignorant; they too have their […]