Happy New Year!

First, a Happy New Year to you all with many wishes of peace, love, happiness and health for 2008 and for always. I decided to stay home from my normal Saturday morning ski outing (since it’s an unusually balmy day here in Northern New Jersey) and catch you up on what’s going on:

I’m really excited about 2008 and about the release of “Shake, Shake, Shake”, my debut children’s cd. Last week, with the help of Sophie, I finished recording the last 2 tracks, so I was able to hand them off to my friend John Pachence for mixing. Once we mix everything, we’ll listen to the whole cd and make some final adjustments, decide the cd layout, and then it’s off to the duplication facility. So, we’re in the home stretch and it feels wonderful! YAY!!!

While John is mixing the songs, I’ll be busy putting together a team that can help me with the graphics. I am terribly impaired when it comes to the visual arts (stick-people are about my best work), but I know what I like when I see it…however, for some reason, I’m still pretty good at Pictionary.

This morning, I was also checking out some other children’s/family artists, and from everything I’ve seen and heard, there is a lot of really great, fun music. Of course, I think Laurie Berkner is totally amazing, and there’s another band too called Milkshake that’s a lot of fun. Great music and videos!

Well, it’s time to sign off for now…I have to go take down the Christmas tree. Scrappy will be sooooo disappointed. It’s been such a useful tool in getting attention. Anytime she wants to play, she just goes over to the tree, shakes it a little bit, tries to climb up the trunk, or bite the needles and somehow she knows, she will receive my rapt attention. Any of your cats do that? I did find an orange toy mouse stuck in the boughs about a foot and a half up the tree. That was very cute and a nice surprise. Well, until next time…

Happy be-lated Thanksgiving to everyone! I hope yours was wonderful and filled with family, joy, love and thanks!

I just realized that it has been so long since I’ve written to update everyone. Wow, time does fly! Anyway, the cd is almost finished. I have 2 more songs to finish recording and then my friend John will mix and master them and we’ll eventually get them sent off for duplication. (YAY!) We’re anticipating the release to be in February or March. I’m in the process of trying to find someone to help out with cover art. (Very tricky!)

Also, I am now absolutely convinced that my 4 year-old niece is going to be a performer. First, a little background: my family tries to gather a couple times a year at something we call “Cuz Fest” and we usually have a sing-a-long...we sing America; Crosby, Stills and Nash; Van Morrison, that kind of stuff – (it’s a lot of fun). Well, this year Skylar decided that she was going to be one of the musicians, too; so she got her little toy piano, and let me tell you, she was totally rockin’! She was clapping her hands, bobbing her head up and down…she even did that little thing when the piano player runs her fingers all the way down the keyboard and then lifts them up in the air in a little flourish. Hysterical…I don’t know where they come up with this stuff, but it’s always fun to watch. Every time I finished a song that the adults wanted to sing, she came up to me and said, “Ok, can we do one of my songs now?” We sang “Pickle” about 10 times that night.

Side note: Scrappy just sat in front of the monitor screen so I can’t see what I’m writing…this is her not-so-subtle way of telling me that I have to go play with her. Have to run…

Ok, I’m back…whew! That was exhausting…now Scrappy is sleeping.

Well, good things are on the horizon, and I am excited to get the cd completed and released. It’s going to be a busy time in the next couple of months, and I wish you all a wonderful holiday season and Happy New Year. Hopefully, though, I’ll get a chance to write before too long. Please send pictures – we have our new photo gallery working and I’d love to see your faces! Also, I love to hear from you, so please send me a note – just go to “Contact” and send us an email.

Yours in music,

Nina

What an exhausting day! My brother Eric came over and we worked almost non-stop for about 12 hours in the studio – the big push to get the cd finished. We got a lot accomplished and it feels great. He did such a great job today and I’m so thankful for his help. Eric’s been doing all of the bass playing and helping me out with some rhythm instruments, but his official title is assistant producer.

One of the reasons that I like doing a project like this is because it reinforces the benefits of team work for me. I am truly able (and need to) look to other people to have them lend their talents to make this a better musical experience for everybody… I’ve had help with songwriting, producing, mixing, recording, backing instruments, backing vocals, website design, website functionality, business planning…really every facet of this entire process. So, please visit the “Team Music” page to see the credits. I would also like to reiterate a big “Thank You” for all of you who continue to contribute to the cd. Your talents are greatly appreciated. Ahhhhh, and there’s still so much work to be done.

Introducing…The Nina Music Background Singers. I had the privilege of working with some very fine, young singers today…my good friends Sophie and Annie, both 5 ½ years old, came over and helped me with some background vocals for “Rhyme Time”. They worked hard, but had fun, and I think you’ll be able to hear it in the song. Afterwards, we shared oranges and drank apple juice for a quick snack. Then the girls ran around the house looking for Scrappy. Incidentally, Scrappy is incredibly good at hide-and-seek when she wants to be. When the girls left, I promised we’d get together again with a movie night as soon as school is out. What fun!

Because the girls were so good in Rhyme Time, I decided that I had to use their talents again. You’ll hear their voices, along with a second Sophie, on “Up There”, “Freddy Horse” and “Pickle”.

I had a wonderful visit with my nieces, sister and brother-in-law who live in western Michigan over Memorial Day. One main highlight was the impromptu concert that we had in the driveway. The 5 young kids that live across the street came over and brought their guitar, so we decided to sing some songs together. We pulled out stools and chairs, sat around in a circle, and got our rhythm eggs shakin’. It was a really special time for me…I especially loved finishing a song and having a chorus of little voices say, “Do it again!”.

One of the girls even went in to the garage and pulled out an attachment for the hose that is used to water plants. It looks just like a shower head on a 3 foot rod. Anyway, she came out and started singing into it like it was a microphone. There was even a bit of choreography once we got really going. It was hysterical and one of the most precious things I’ve ever seen in my life. I think a new performer is budding! I’m going to put up a picture of it on the picture page ‘cause it’s just adorable, but first I must track my brother down and have him send the picture to me.

Hi everybody! Welcome to the new Nina Music website. I am so excited to tell you about this whole new cd that I barely know where to begin. First thing’s first…

What’s up with the cat sitting on my back in the homepage picture?

That is my beautiful, little cat Scrappy. Typically, when I brush my teeth in the morning, Scrappy likes to sit and watch – I think she likes the water. Anyway, I was bending over to rinse and I felt a paw on my shoulder. Then she just hopped up, did a turn or two and sat down. She’s done this to me a couple of times, but it was the first time I could get a picture of it. I just had to share that picture with you because it’s so funny. Plus, she’s made it into a couple of songs and even inspired one called, “Watching”, so I thought it would be great that you could know who I’m talking about.

We thought it would be neat if you could send us pictures with you and your pet (or pets) (cat, dog, lizard, goat…whatever) and we could post it on the website. That way we can share our love for animals. I really, really love animals because they bring so much laughter and joy into our lives. Scrappy does so many silly things, and I look forward to sharing more “Scrappy” stories.

About the songs: "Music from my family to yours." What does this mean?

I had a different kind of concept for this album. It’s a children’s album - which also means a family album…and I am lucky enough to be a part of a wonderful, big, loving, family. So, I put out a message to my family that I was putting together a children’s/family cd and I asked them to contribute lyrics, songs, pictures, or anything else they could contribute – for example, in addition to writing one of the songs, my sister Beth is also going to help me out with wardrobe (isn’t that funny?...although Beth has been helping me dress since we’ve been little kids). I wanted this to be music truly from my family to yours…so that’s who I asked for help – my family. It’s been a really, really great experience for me and I look forward to doing it on future albums. I have a list of the songs and contributors at “Team Music”.

When will the cd be finished?

I am currently hard at work recording the rest of the songs, but right now I have 3 of them available to you in .mp3 format on this website (link here). The songs aren’t available on commercial .mp3 webstores yet, so if you download a song and if you like it, I’m going to ask that you and your Mom or Dad place $1 per song in an envelope and send it to
        Nina Music
        P.O. Box 733
        Andover, NJ 07821
The rest of the songs will also be going up on the website in .mp3 format as they’re completed, too, so keep checking back for updates.

How you can help "Team Music"!

Here’s what you can do to help Nina, Scrappy and the rest of Team Music:
1. Listen to the music
2. Tell a friend about the website and the songs that you like!
3. Email a photo of you and your pet to post on the website.
4. Check often for updates on the website for new music and new pictures.

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