Laura Harley

I’m happy to report that my voice seems to be back to normal now.  I’m still not sure what was up with it for the past few days, but maybe drinking all that water helped!

Tonight I play in Pico Rivera and tomorrow in Burbank. The last time I was in Burbank was to see a taping of “The Tonight Show” with my family when I was about 10. My dad used to have conferences for work in this area, and so sometimes he would take all of us on a little vacation at the same time. It was a great and affordable way for us to explore and have fun as a family.

The neighborhood I’m living in here is really interesting. We are in Hollywood and we’re close to the Writer’s Guild building (where the writers who are striking can sometimes be seen) and near the CBS studios. I keep hoping to see someone famous come out of there. I’m also within walking distance of MANY music stores such as a gigantic Guitar Center, Mesa Boogie, Sam Ash, Carvin, and some independent stores, too. I can’t afford to get anything, but it is very fun to window shop.  In fact yesterday I was standing outside a shop gazing at the beautiful guitars inside and, after apparently being in a dream-like state for several minutes, came to my senses and realized I was smiling and looking like a love-sick teenager there on the sidewalk.  I tried to pull it together and casually walk away, but I felt kind of silly.  I’ll probably be back doing the same thing tomorrow, though.

Hi guys!  I am safely in L.A. again.  The apartment I am living in here now is SO much nicer than the one I was in before.  It makes a big difference!  It is more comfy, I have more space, and I feel more centered here.  Plus, there is carpet here and it is fun to just lie around on it.  At home, I am used to wood floors and so it is a special change of pace.

I had a nice flight here, I got to take a direct flight this time which made the journey much easier.  And I got to meet some very nice people on my trip. Since I have worked as a therapist and as a life coach, I get into pretty interesting conversations with people. I love to ask people questions about their lives. Most people are not used to this and it results in some pretty fascinating reflections as they answer the questions. People are just so interesting and I love discovering them. That’s one of the best parts about traveling.

So I just finished practicing for my shows this weekend, and I’m a little worried about my voice.  The past few days it has just been so thin—kind of like I am dehydrated.  But I’m drinking water like crazy to try to combat it and it doesn’t seem to help.  Maybe because the air is drier in the winter I need to get a humidifier to run while I am sleeping.  I think I might go get one right now and try it.  I’m about to go out to get a bite to eat and buy some groceries.  On the list are: berries and whipped cream (for deliciousness), lettuce (for all-around health), rice and beans (for protein), and green tea (just because I like it a lot).   

Today was a lovely day.  I got to connect with some of my favorite people. One of them was my dear friend, Ali. Remember my blog entry from last week about wanting to listen to more great pop songs?  Well, Miss Ali made me a whole mix CD of fave pop songs!  And it is so much fun.  I think my favorite thing about getting a mix from someone is thinking of them while you listen—you kind of feel like they are right there with you :).  She also brought some photos she recently found from when we were little.  We’ve known each other since birth and are still very close.  How lucky am I??  In these photos, we are teeny tiny—Ali looking all adorable in a high chair and me with my messy blond baby hair standing up with the help of my mom and reaching towards Ali. How precious to have such experiences!

Another wonderful thing from today is that my mom shared some of her latest paintings with me.  And they are AWESOME.  I am so proud of her!  I grew up watching her paint watercolors and oils.  She took an extended break from painting for several years and is now rediscovering it.  It is truly amazing to see what is emerging from her spirit on the canvas.  So beautiful!  I loved each new one she showed me, but I especially fell in love with one in particular.  It is a still life of several vases with flowers in them, and a small coffee cup in the front.  The image makes me feel like I’m in an artist’s studio.  It is a pretty great perk to be able to say to the artist:  ”Mom, can I have that one?”

Today is also special because it is my dad’s birthday.  My dad is adorable and wonderful.  One thing he really enjoys is pizza.  So, I made sure to bring him a pizza on his special day: pepperoni with green olives and mushrooms, extra sauce, easy on the cheese.  He is very particular about his food tastes and I find it endlessly charming for some reason.  I also love that just having a pizza around qualifies as a “Pizza Party” in my family. 

Now I need to practice and then pack because I am going to LA in the morning.  More updates soon…. 

I’ve been working on making meditation a solid part of my daily routine again.  I go through periods in which meditation is a huge part of my life, and then, I guess because of the busy-ness of life and unexpected things, I go away from it.  But I know it is a crucial part of feeling grounded and connected.  It also helps me feel more open to guidance about my life. And creatively, it has a huge impact.

Like right now I’m writing another new song and I don’t yet know what it will be about.  But I know that sitting in meditation, even for 5 minutes a day, will help me find out.

Lots of things have been coming together lately to draw me closer to meditation: feeling like I want to turn the world off, longing for stillness, striving to create simplicity in my routine and in my home, and, last night, I was reading before turning off my light and a flier about meditation just “happened” to fall out of the book I was reading.

So today I made sure to take the 5 minutes to meditate in the morning. When I come back to it after time away, I always feel a little restless and as if I’ve lost my ability to do it.  But then I move past that and realize I don’t have to “do” anything, just be.  And then comes that solid and warm feeling that God is close and everything will be all right.   

It feels like the theme in my life for the past week has been about making connections.  It was so great over the holiday weekend to connect more deeply with my family.  There have been some health challenges in my family lately, and when that happens it really puts things in perspective. You realize how precious each person and each moment truly is.

I’ve also been feeling like I’m making new connections with the songs I’ve written in the past few months.  They are starting to come together into a cohesive collection and I’m beginning to see the new sound for the next album taking shape.  There are still many things to try and many challenges to overcome, but I am feeling very hopeful and excited about the new live show I’m developing and all the things to come over the next few months.  More on all of that soon…

I’m also getting ready to go back to L.A. later this week.  I’ll be playing a couple shows while I’m there and I’ll also be doing open mics.  Plus, as always, I’ll be working a lot on writing.  And because a big part of being an artist is connecting with people, I’ll also be continuing to form friendships and build relationships while I’m there.

Yep, lots of connecting on my mind… 

Today is the day we observe the Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S., where I live.  So, I am thinking a lot about the things for which I am most thankful.  And so, I want to tell you that I am very thankful for each one of YOU! Thanks to each of you for visiting this online journal of mine, reading the thoughts I put here, and allowing them to be a part of your life.  I truly appreciate it!  I know that some of you I know and have met, and many more of you I have not yet met.  I hope to be able to connect with each of you through meeting you in person at a show one day, or through commenting here back and forth.  But even if we never get to meet, know that I am thankful for you. 

And thank you to all of you for supporting my music.  It means the world to me that you choose to make my music part of your world.  It is an honor for me!  And your support makes it possible for me to continue doing what I love. 

Huge thanks to each of you! 

As most of you know, I’ve been learning how to play the piano for the past several months.  I’ve always been drawn to playing and writing on piano, but apart from a handful of childhood lessons, was never trained.  But I’ve been having some good success in just playing and learning by ear, the same way I learned how to play guitar. Thankfully, I also have a good friend of mine who is an amazing piano player and he’s been giving me periodic lessons, too.

If you’ve ever learned how to play an instrument or learned a new language, you know that great feeling that comes when you start having more facility with it—-it starts to feel more natural and you’re able to improvise more and be in the feeling of it more.  That’s what has started to happen with piano for me.  And I LOVE it! 

At yesterday’s lesson, I learned how to use the pedal on a piano.  This makes the notes you play sustain and sound “bigger”.  So far, I’ve just been learning on a poor quality little midi keyboard with virtually no effects or sustain, so playing a real piano and using the pedals was…….DREAMY.  I could feel my songs more and it was like getting a glimpse into a huge cave filled with jewels and treasures.  I can’t wait to explore more!  Now if I can only get myself a real piano, or at least a decent keyboard for shows…. my birthday is coming up, so maybe I can work something out….hmmm…..   

Well, today I had one of THOSE days. You know, the day where things seem to keep going wrong and you can’t seem to get anything done, no matter how hard you try? Yep. I had precious time set aside today to do some recording and writing, and my computer and instruments and recording equipment kept coming up with all kinds of new ways to make things tricky. I was able to troubleshoot some of them, but some I’m just hoping will go away, because I’m not sure what else to try!

In any case, the good news is that I didn’t freak out or get angry about it. I felt frustrated, but not as much as I used to when things like this happened. And when I look at it in the big scheme of things, when I’m long gone from this life, it probably won’t matter how productive I was (or wasn’t) on November 19, 2007. But for my own spiritual development, I think it WILL matter how I reacted to what happened today. I’d like to think my patience is growing!

So, maybe there is a reason for everything, and maybe a day without material progress doesn’t have to mean that no progress at all was made.