Well this has been quite the eventful week!
Would you believe I have MORE news?
Well, I do, so there ;)
As I mentioned previously, I've been working away on the next theme for The Happy Prince film, that of The Prince Theme. I had already recorded two tracks which, although quite nice, just didn't feel right for the Prince. I was looking for something regal and grand with a somber undertone.
Back when I first started thinking about the various themes, I had decided that I wanted to use Rachmaninov's Prelude in C minor as inspiration for The Prince Theme. If you don't know the piece take a listen here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSO6dfTgVOY and if you can't do You Tube then check it out here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prelude_in_C_sharp_minor_(Rachmaninoff) (scroll down and click on the play button bottom right). Apparently, the opening chords, which lay the foundation for the entire piece, are reminiscent of church bells and it was this bell-like quality that I really wanted to capture in The Prince Theme.
I already had the Rach Prelude under my skin since I've listened to it countless times and it's one of my favourite Romantic Period piano works. I procrastinated for about 3 weeks, whilst submerging myself in recording software issues, which is something I like to call "the artistic process" which validates it somehow ;) but in seriousness, sometimes an idea needs time to stew and ripen. I find if I try to force the issue before it's time then often the resulting compositions sounds forced.
I had two failed attempts - those melodies sounded just fine but weren't right for The Prince Theme. Then, on the way home from the shops last night, a melody just popped into my head. I instantly knew it was THE one! The perfect mixture of bells, grandeur, old European refinement and subtle sadness.
I couldn't get into the house fast enough - I even made a hasty recording of it using the voice recorder on my cell phone! Its funny how there is this paranoid madness that takes hold of me and I feel like if I don't save the idea quickly it might just pop straight out of my head the way it popped in! As soon as I got home I laid down a rough recording of it and could breathe easy again.
After dinner I recorded it more thoroughly and sent off the mp3 to the director (my friend) - always so nerve-wrecking waiting to hear back, but I was confident he would love it like I do! And I was right - heard back from him this morning and he's ecstatic!
So, another theme down! The next theme I'll be focusing on is a lullaby which will be sung near the end of the film, but I'll go into more detail about that in a future post. For the moment I'm thinking of seeking out some champagne to have a little celebration!
PS: I won't be posting any of the themes / tracks from the movie on this blog until the film is released, sadly you will have to wait until then, but that gives you something to look forward to!
PPS: If you've never read Oscar Wilde's The Happy Prince, you can read it and some other stories by him here http://www2.hn.psu.edu/faculty/jmanis/oscar-wilde/HappyPrince&othertales6x9.pdf - enjoy!
21 August 2009
19 August 2009
For the Art of it
We musicians aren't just about practicing, performing, writing songs; sometimes you just need a creative outlet that isn't music-related.
I try, as often as I can, to embark on projects that breed creativity because being creative is a bit like getting fit; sometimes you need to cross-train.
This particular project involved a pair of shoes.
I began with a pair of white canvas takkies (or sneakers / trainers as the rest of the world might know them). I found it very symbolic that they were made from white canvas and set to work on a design. I don't mind admitting that these babies were SUPER cheap, no-name brands - that was the point! (please note the mystery shoe pocket!?)
I thought of imprinting Betty Page's face onto them, or maybe some of my poetry scribbled across the sides, and I even considered embellishing them in a psychedelic houndstooth print, but finally I settled on this....
A puzzle pattern!! Simple yet effective.
I bought a black fabric pen and drew out the grid for the block sizes in pencil on the shoes. Oh, but first I removed the pockets which were just too gimmicky.
Here's another pic showing both shoes:
The best thing about this project is that I now get a cool pair of shoes that I know I created - no designer labels could ever compete with the feeling of wearing your own creation :)
I try, as often as I can, to embark on projects that breed creativity because being creative is a bit like getting fit; sometimes you need to cross-train.
This particular project involved a pair of shoes.
I began with a pair of white canvas takkies (or sneakers / trainers as the rest of the world might know them). I found it very symbolic that they were made from white canvas and set to work on a design. I don't mind admitting that these babies were SUPER cheap, no-name brands - that was the point! (please note the mystery shoe pocket!?)
I thought of imprinting Betty Page's face onto them, or maybe some of my poetry scribbled across the sides, and I even considered embellishing them in a psychedelic houndstooth print, but finally I settled on this....
A puzzle pattern!! Simple yet effective.
I bought a black fabric pen and drew out the grid for the block sizes in pencil on the shoes. Oh, but first I removed the pockets which were just too gimmicky.
Here's another pic showing both shoes:
The best thing about this project is that I now get a cool pair of shoes that I know I created - no designer labels could ever compete with the feeling of wearing your own creation :)
Pop! goes the Weasel
Finally! After over a month of waiting and calling up the store repeatedly (to the point that I'm now on first name basis with the attendant and know all sorts of irrelevant information about him) - the much anticipated pop filter has arrived.
What is a pop filter? Well, firstly http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pop_filter
You can always trust Wikipedia to reveal life's little mysteries ;)
The big deal about waiting for the pop filter (since they were out of stock) is that I didn't want to use my condenser mic without the protection of a pop filter.
The funny, and unexpected part, was, when I'd unwrapped it I suddenly realised I had no clue as to how you attach a pop filter to a microphone stand. I really didn't foresee that problem, but, once again, I turned to the internet to guide me - all I needed was a picture of a set-up pop filter and a little brain power and I had it attached to my mic stand looking oh so professional in no time at all.
Here are some pics of my set-up:
Once I got to this point I could test out my new condenser mic and WOW was it worth the wait! It's not top of the range by any means, but it's very clear and has a nice tone.
So the studio is almost complete, just a few more cables and a shock mount for the condenser and I'll have a pretty awesome little home recording set-up. Can't wait!
What is a pop filter? Well, firstly http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pop_filter
You can always trust Wikipedia to reveal life's little mysteries ;)
The big deal about waiting for the pop filter (since they were out of stock) is that I didn't want to use my condenser mic without the protection of a pop filter.
The funny, and unexpected part, was, when I'd unwrapped it I suddenly realised I had no clue as to how you attach a pop filter to a microphone stand. I really didn't foresee that problem, but, once again, I turned to the internet to guide me - all I needed was a picture of a set-up pop filter and a little brain power and I had it attached to my mic stand looking oh so professional in no time at all.
Here are some pics of my set-up:
Once I got to this point I could test out my new condenser mic and WOW was it worth the wait! It's not top of the range by any means, but it's very clear and has a nice tone.
So the studio is almost complete, just a few more cables and a shock mount for the condenser and I'll have a pretty awesome little home recording set-up. Can't wait!
04 August 2009
A rainy day
A rainy day
When it rains the world just feels so strange
And thoughts go leaking onto the floor, under the door,
Floating
When it rains the world just seems to change
And people rush around in a muddle, dodging the puddles,
Soaking
The shop windows are yawning
It’s just another morning
And traffic lights keep winking
I wonder what they’re thinking
It’s just a rainy day
When it rains the world gets rearranged
And foggy footsteps come down the hall, walk on the walls
Seeping
When it rains normal gets deranged
The clouds roll in and mist up the mirrors
Constricting the pillars
Choking
The stained glass windowed steeple
Is always watching people
The paper on the table
Is telling me it’s fables
It’s just a rainy day
lyrics to the song by © Violet Greene; 2007
When it rains the world just feels so strange
And thoughts go leaking onto the floor, under the door,
Floating
When it rains the world just seems to change
And people rush around in a muddle, dodging the puddles,
Soaking
The shop windows are yawning
It’s just another morning
And traffic lights keep winking
I wonder what they’re thinking
It’s just a rainy day
When it rains the world gets rearranged
And foggy footsteps come down the hall, walk on the walls
Seeping
When it rains normal gets deranged
The clouds roll in and mist up the mirrors
Constricting the pillars
Choking
The stained glass windowed steeple
Is always watching people
The paper on the table
Is telling me it’s fables
It’s just a rainy day
lyrics to the song by © Violet Greene; 2007
29 July 2009
A little poetry
The Divide
if we can build a bridge for this canyon
if we can bridge it
and find our way through the mist
if we can find it
what lies between your heart and mine
what lies between us
could steadily slip into decline
could steadily slip
no more would we meet across that divide
meet across it
but instead stand side by side
if we can bridge it
and find our way through the mist
if we can find it
what lies between your heart and mine
what lies between us
could steadily slip into decline
could steadily slip
no more would we meet across that divide
meet across it
but instead stand side by side
- Violet Greene
29-7-2009
29-7-2009
24 July 2009
The Film Project
Very exciting news!!!
I've been wanting to try my hand at writing some music for film for a long time now.
One day, whilst standing in my kitchen making popcorn with my friend, my phone rang and it was my good friend from Johannesburg. He is an interior designer with no previous film making experience who decided he wanted to make a film based on the story of The Happy Prince (Oscar Wilde).
He asked me if I'd like to write the music for his film to which I nearly choked on a piece of popcorn - what an amazing opportunity! Not only do I get to try my hand at writing music for film, but I also get to work with my very good friend! It's a win win situation.
I started by reading through the original Oscar Wilde story, which is very sad and moving. It's about a Prince who, when he died, was made into a statue and put on a tall pillar in the centre of the city square. There is a swallow migrating to Egypt who lands on the statue for the night and discovers the the Prince is sad because of all the suffering he has witnessed from his position in the centre of the city. He asks the Swallow to distribute the jewels from his sword, eyes and the gold leaves covering him amongst the poor / needy in the city below. He and the Swallow develop a strong bond and the Swallow, despite the encraochment of winter, decides to stay with the Prince where he eventually dies due to the cold.
As I said...it's a pretty sad story.
Next I set to identify the main themes in the story: The Prince and The Swallow.
I wanted to create a specific mood for each of these characters. I went in search of inspiration from existing works to use as a creative guide for my own compositions.
For the Swallow theme I was inspired by the soundtrack of Amelie - specifically the waltz. I felt that it has just the right elements of innocence and a carefree lilt, which depicts the Swallow's mood when we firt meet him flying through the reeds at a stream.
For the Prince theme I was inspired by Rachmaninoff's C minor prelude. The bell-like motif with the weighty extended chords gives it a feeling of grandeur akin to great cathedrals and equally grand statues. It is well-grounded just like the Prince is on his pillar.
Finally there is a lullaby which the Swallow will sing to the Prince after telling him stories of his previous migrations to Egypt. For this I drew my inspiration from the movie The Gladiator, specifically the song by Enya. I feel that the slight Arabic / North African mood of this piece perfectly suits the images the Swallows stories conjure up in the mind of the Prince of the pyramids and the Nile.
So...with the inspirations for each theme chosen, I have started with composing the Swallow Theme first. Just last month I made the first recording of this piece and sent it to my friend for his feedback. Fortunately he LOVED it - it certainly helps that we are on the same wave-length!
Next I will be focusing on the Prince Theme. I am slightly nervous about the challenging aspects of trying to recreate the mood so perfectly and skillfully set-up by the great Rachmaninoff, but where sheer talent as a keyboardist is lacking, there is the advancements of technology to substitute ;) So far I have come up with two possibilities yet I'm not yet convinced as to whether or not either of these are the "it" tune - so there is more grafting to be done, but hopefully I am close.
And that's where I currently stand with the composition of the music for this film project. Very exciting and incredibly daunting. Unfortunately I can't post any of the recordings / themes online at this stage - you'll have to wait for the finished product.
We have set November 22 as our deadline for this project. It may turn out to be a bit too ambitious to meet, but since it is the day of both our (my friend and my) birthdays, it seems significant, so hold thumbs that we make it.
Either way, I'll be keeping you up to date as I go....
I've been wanting to try my hand at writing some music for film for a long time now.
One day, whilst standing in my kitchen making popcorn with my friend, my phone rang and it was my good friend from Johannesburg. He is an interior designer with no previous film making experience who decided he wanted to make a film based on the story of The Happy Prince (Oscar Wilde).
He asked me if I'd like to write the music for his film to which I nearly choked on a piece of popcorn - what an amazing opportunity! Not only do I get to try my hand at writing music for film, but I also get to work with my very good friend! It's a win win situation.
I started by reading through the original Oscar Wilde story, which is very sad and moving. It's about a Prince who, when he died, was made into a statue and put on a tall pillar in the centre of the city square. There is a swallow migrating to Egypt who lands on the statue for the night and discovers the the Prince is sad because of all the suffering he has witnessed from his position in the centre of the city. He asks the Swallow to distribute the jewels from his sword, eyes and the gold leaves covering him amongst the poor / needy in the city below. He and the Swallow develop a strong bond and the Swallow, despite the encraochment of winter, decides to stay with the Prince where he eventually dies due to the cold.
As I said...it's a pretty sad story.
Next I set to identify the main themes in the story: The Prince and The Swallow.
I wanted to create a specific mood for each of these characters. I went in search of inspiration from existing works to use as a creative guide for my own compositions.
For the Swallow theme I was inspired by the soundtrack of Amelie - specifically the waltz. I felt that it has just the right elements of innocence and a carefree lilt, which depicts the Swallow's mood when we firt meet him flying through the reeds at a stream.
For the Prince theme I was inspired by Rachmaninoff's C minor prelude. The bell-like motif with the weighty extended chords gives it a feeling of grandeur akin to great cathedrals and equally grand statues. It is well-grounded just like the Prince is on his pillar.
Finally there is a lullaby which the Swallow will sing to the Prince after telling him stories of his previous migrations to Egypt. For this I drew my inspiration from the movie The Gladiator, specifically the song by Enya. I feel that the slight Arabic / North African mood of this piece perfectly suits the images the Swallows stories conjure up in the mind of the Prince of the pyramids and the Nile.
So...with the inspirations for each theme chosen, I have started with composing the Swallow Theme first. Just last month I made the first recording of this piece and sent it to my friend for his feedback. Fortunately he LOVED it - it certainly helps that we are on the same wave-length!
Next I will be focusing on the Prince Theme. I am slightly nervous about the challenging aspects of trying to recreate the mood so perfectly and skillfully set-up by the great Rachmaninoff, but where sheer talent as a keyboardist is lacking, there is the advancements of technology to substitute ;) So far I have come up with two possibilities yet I'm not yet convinced as to whether or not either of these are the "it" tune - so there is more grafting to be done, but hopefully I am close.
And that's where I currently stand with the composition of the music for this film project. Very exciting and incredibly daunting. Unfortunately I can't post any of the recordings / themes online at this stage - you'll have to wait for the finished product.
We have set November 22 as our deadline for this project. It may turn out to be a bit too ambitious to meet, but since it is the day of both our (my friend and my) birthdays, it seems significant, so hold thumbs that we make it.
Either way, I'll be keeping you up to date as I go....
23 July 2009
The Software
Now that I have all my recording equipment set-up it's time to learn the software packages necessary to record music live onto my pc. I'm using two software packages: Kristal Audio Engine http://www.kreatives.org/kristal/ and Audacity http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
Both are free / open source. I'm all for sharing information and working together to develop something and make it accessible to everyone, and that's what the people who develop this software are all about. Makes me wanna slip on my bell-bottoms and tie-die t-shirt and go skipping through the fields!
Okay...it's not all daisies and rolling around high in the long grass naked etc etc...because the software is being developed independently by people all around the world, there are one or two small glitches. Essentially it all works really well, but, there are always learning curves with new software.
Fortunately there are really helpful people on forums just dying to help you out with any problems you're experiencing. The more you share about the software the better the software will become in future editions - so everyone benefits.
At the moment I'm having issues with "track bleeding" and the niece people on the Kristal forum http://www.kristalusers.net/index.php are helping me work through it.
I've already recorded my first few experimental tracks but it has been so rewarding to hit the play button and hear what I've created being played back at me. And it makes composing such a pleasure!
Can't wait to become a pro at the software!
Both are free / open source. I'm all for sharing information and working together to develop something and make it accessible to everyone, and that's what the people who develop this software are all about. Makes me wanna slip on my bell-bottoms and tie-die t-shirt and go skipping through the fields!
Okay...it's not all daisies and rolling around high in the long grass naked etc etc...because the software is being developed independently by people all around the world, there are one or two small glitches. Essentially it all works really well, but, there are always learning curves with new software.
Fortunately there are really helpful people on forums just dying to help you out with any problems you're experiencing. The more you share about the software the better the software will become in future editions - so everyone benefits.
At the moment I'm having issues with "track bleeding" and the niece people on the Kristal forum http://www.kristalusers.net/index.php are helping me work through it.
I've already recorded my first few experimental tracks but it has been so rewarding to hit the play button and hear what I've created being played back at me. And it makes composing such a pleasure!
Can't wait to become a pro at the software!
The Studio
At the beginning of this year I started researching recording options. There are many studios to choose from and they vary greatly in price, equipment and experience. If you've never looked into this before, let me assure you that it is no cheap exercise to have your music recorded.
After months of trawling through gumtree ads I decided that the best long term option would be to set up my own recording studio. With that decision made it was on to researching equipment. All I really wanted was to plug a keyboard and a microphone into my pc and record live. Nothing major; no competing with Abbey Road studio, just a very simple set-up.
I'll spare you the boredom of this research process and the hours spent finding definitions for sound engineering terms completely foreign and reams of internet based info and just skip straight to the exciting bit: The Purchase and The Set-up.
I decided that, since I'm a struggling musician, my equipment was going to have to err toward the cheap and functionable side and I found the solution in a recording package offered by Behringer called the Podcast Studio and consisting of a pair of headphones, a condenser mic, a small mixer, an audio interface (firewire) and some free / open source software.
You can check out the Behringer Podcast Studio (firewire) here http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/PODCASTUDIO-FIREWIRE.aspx
Look how happy the lady looks on the box...that in itself should tell you just how super duper it is ;) In truth it is VERY humble equipment - all totally entry level and, some engineers would laugh at it and dismiss it like a blown speaker cone. But I believe you have to a) start somewhere b) keep in accordance with your budget and c) find the equipment that suits your current needs with a view to improving upon it in the future when you're feeling more flush.
On to the set-up....
This was more challenging than finding the right equipment! Firstly, I had no table big enough to carry my pc, a midi-keyboard (which I already owned) and all this sound equipment. So off I went on a mission to find the perfect table, and would you believe that it ended up being a trusty trestle table? Simple and clean. I don't mind admitting that buying this table sent me off into a little day dream about owning an industrial-style loft in downtown New York (my inner-city dream home).
Back to reality....I set up all the equipment, installed the software etc and stood back to admire it all:
When I studied Sound Technology at university I had this one teacher who was completely paranoid about her sound equipment. She used to carry this paint brush with her all the time and would obsessively brush away imaginary dust molecules off her sound desk every couple of minutes. I used to think she was a little cooked, but now I'm starting to see her point! When you fork out the cash for this type of equipment it comes with a guarantee and an in-built sense of paranoia! No one else can touch it let alone breath near it! ;)
Once I had the equipment set-up I could see what else I needed - it's amazing how these things creep up on you - suddenly I need: a pop filter for the mic and a shock mount, a D.I. box for my guitar, and a music stand would be nice too. *sigh* it never ends.
I'm busy learning to use the software which is all open source (call me a hippie but free software just makes great sense!).
After months of trawling through gumtree ads I decided that the best long term option would be to set up my own recording studio. With that decision made it was on to researching equipment. All I really wanted was to plug a keyboard and a microphone into my pc and record live. Nothing major; no competing with Abbey Road studio, just a very simple set-up.
I'll spare you the boredom of this research process and the hours spent finding definitions for sound engineering terms completely foreign and reams of internet based info and just skip straight to the exciting bit: The Purchase and The Set-up.
I decided that, since I'm a struggling musician, my equipment was going to have to err toward the cheap and functionable side and I found the solution in a recording package offered by Behringer called the Podcast Studio and consisting of a pair of headphones, a condenser mic, a small mixer, an audio interface (firewire) and some free / open source software.
You can check out the Behringer Podcast Studio (firewire) here http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/PODCASTUDIO-FIREWIRE.aspx
Look how happy the lady looks on the box...that in itself should tell you just how super duper it is ;) In truth it is VERY humble equipment - all totally entry level and, some engineers would laugh at it and dismiss it like a blown speaker cone. But I believe you have to a) start somewhere b) keep in accordance with your budget and c) find the equipment that suits your current needs with a view to improving upon it in the future when you're feeling more flush.
On to the set-up....
This was more challenging than finding the right equipment! Firstly, I had no table big enough to carry my pc, a midi-keyboard (which I already owned) and all this sound equipment. So off I went on a mission to find the perfect table, and would you believe that it ended up being a trusty trestle table? Simple and clean. I don't mind admitting that buying this table sent me off into a little day dream about owning an industrial-style loft in downtown New York (my inner-city dream home).
Back to reality....I set up all the equipment, installed the software etc and stood back to admire it all:
When I studied Sound Technology at university I had this one teacher who was completely paranoid about her sound equipment. She used to carry this paint brush with her all the time and would obsessively brush away imaginary dust molecules off her sound desk every couple of minutes. I used to think she was a little cooked, but now I'm starting to see her point! When you fork out the cash for this type of equipment it comes with a guarantee and an in-built sense of paranoia! No one else can touch it let alone breath near it! ;)
Once I had the equipment set-up I could see what else I needed - it's amazing how these things creep up on you - suddenly I need: a pop filter for the mic and a shock mount, a D.I. box for my guitar, and a music stand would be nice too. *sigh* it never ends.
I'm busy learning to use the software which is all open source (call me a hippie but free software just makes great sense!).
22 July 2009
Did you mean Violet Green??
This is so WAY overdue! The identity of Violet Greene has remained pretty dormant since she was conceived in 2007! How have 2 years already flown by without her introduction to the world?? Possibly because her creator has been very busy with other things like musical theatre productions and that draining day job...blah blah blah all excuses!
So who is Violet Greene?
When I did a little Google search I was pleasantly surprised to find that the first real result was for me...THE Violet Greene who's blog you are currently reading! That was quite a surprise since I figured I was pretty unknown, and if you've watched the movie Wanted then you'll know that one can measure one's success in life by doing a Google search for yourself. If nothing comes up then you know you're a total waste of skin ;)
So...phew! Collective sighs.
There were other results too: Violet Greene the 9 year old figure skater (show off) and a couple of PlayStation links. so...more relief at being relatively original (I quite liked the "make believe" nature that these suggested).
Of course all this swelling confidence was reduced when I caught sight of Google's suggestion "Did you mean Violet Green?" Well...did I? Um...no I didn't, but thank you for offering.
So...who is Violet Greene? She is the alter-ego to a performer / singer / songwriter / poet / composer. She is Beyonce's Sasha Fierce. She is Sean Coombs P Diddy etc. She is the product of a parent's bad choice of name. She was created to present a solution to an artist whose name is almost unpronounceable. She is two colours in one.
However, her origin is only interesting in light of what she has accomplished since conception and herein lies the purpose of this blog - to keep you informed as to what Violet Greene has / is / and would like to accomplish. Also, I hope this blog can be a platform for creative discussion as to the process of creating your identity as a performer and getting yourself and your product out there into a public arena.
So...as to the what has been accomplished I can present the following. I've been developing my identity. There is a lot to consider when creating an identity. It's your brand and you always want to present your brand to the public in a consistent manner. You also need to think about who your target market is and for me that's a matter of find out what sort of person would listen to my music. Who would my fans be?
I had to take a picture of myself - people relate to images of other people - and I took the picture you see on this blog one Sunday morning in my dining area. I then retouched it and cleaned up the background which was just an arb dining space. I gave it a sepia overtone and adjusted my eye colour in keeping with the Greene part of Violet Greene. There is no use of violet although, in the untouched images you would be able to see that I'm wearing a violet coloured shirt - so it's there in spirit.
Next I worked on a bio which you can view on my Myspace page here http://www.myspace.com/thegreenehouse
It's not an easy thing writing a Bio as you want to present yourself in a positive light without sounding like you think you're the best thing since sausage filled pizza crust. Also, it should be a work in progress and should be updated regularly - this is the part where I've been very unsuccessful, but I am working on it.
Then I created some stationery such as a business card. However I wasn't thrilled with the results of my limited graphic design skills and would like to give this another shot and include ideas for T-shirts, caps, badges, and other promotional items.
I have set-up profiles on all the major social networking sites and, as soon as I have some recorded tracks to present, I will be making more frequent use of them as a means to generating interest and support for my music.
So, with the basics in place I'm hopefully on my way to becoming a house hold name ;) or just famous in my suburb - either way, the joy of music is in the making. Violet has been writing poetry and music since pre-pubescence and has even had some of her songs played on local radio and television stations. Fame, however, is not the goal, writing good music with which people can identify is. But, even more importantly, and somewhat selfishly, Violet Greene likes to make music for her own enjoyment and creative satisfaction - if it is well-received by others, that's great, but it's a by-product of a richer experience. Besides...people's tastes are fickle and often their understanding and appreciation is limited - just look at poor Vincent van Gogh - he sold one painting in his lifetime yet now we swoon over his work. The artists pleasure is at the forefront of his/her creation - public interest is handy if you are to make a living, but not essential to validate its worth - or at least this is what Violet likes to believe.
For now the No. 1 item on my Violet Greene Things To Do list is RECORD YOUR MUSIC!! Seeing as I have about 15 years worth of written songs I have quite the backlog! And I'm going to share more on this in future posts.
As a parting shot; I had a freaky experience recently. Two years ago I created a Facebook account for myself, but have hardly used it as I've not felt ready to "unveil" myself to the world at large as I need to have my songs recorded first. Anyhoo...I got one or two friend requests which I accepted, but hardly visited the account until one day when I decided to update it a bit. Whilst updating the info. on my profile one of these friends began a chat with me. This guy was chatting to me as if we'd known each other very well in the past. So of course I played along for a bit to see where he was going with this sillyness, only to discover that he honestly believed me to be a girl he knew who is named Violet Greene and apparently could be my twin!!! It's one thing to share the same name, but to share the same name and looks!??! That's just freaky!!! In German they call it a doppelganger and the legend is that if you come face to face with your doppelganger you could die - they would suck up your soul (or something equally uncomfortable). Let's hope I never meet this Violet Greene on the street!
So who is Violet Greene?
When I did a little Google search I was pleasantly surprised to find that the first real result was for me...THE Violet Greene who's blog you are currently reading! That was quite a surprise since I figured I was pretty unknown, and if you've watched the movie Wanted then you'll know that one can measure one's success in life by doing a Google search for yourself. If nothing comes up then you know you're a total waste of skin ;)
So...phew! Collective sighs.
There were other results too: Violet Greene the 9 year old figure skater (show off) and a couple of PlayStation links. so...more relief at being relatively original (I quite liked the "make believe" nature that these suggested).
Of course all this swelling confidence was reduced when I caught sight of Google's suggestion "Did you mean Violet Green?" Well...did I? Um...no I didn't, but thank you for offering.
So...who is Violet Greene? She is the alter-ego to a performer / singer / songwriter / poet / composer. She is Beyonce's Sasha Fierce. She is Sean Coombs P Diddy etc. She is the product of a parent's bad choice of name. She was created to present a solution to an artist whose name is almost unpronounceable. She is two colours in one.
However, her origin is only interesting in light of what she has accomplished since conception and herein lies the purpose of this blog - to keep you informed as to what Violet Greene has / is / and would like to accomplish. Also, I hope this blog can be a platform for creative discussion as to the process of creating your identity as a performer and getting yourself and your product out there into a public arena.
So...as to the what has been accomplished I can present the following. I've been developing my identity. There is a lot to consider when creating an identity. It's your brand and you always want to present your brand to the public in a consistent manner. You also need to think about who your target market is and for me that's a matter of find out what sort of person would listen to my music. Who would my fans be?
I had to take a picture of myself - people relate to images of other people - and I took the picture you see on this blog one Sunday morning in my dining area. I then retouched it and cleaned up the background which was just an arb dining space. I gave it a sepia overtone and adjusted my eye colour in keeping with the Greene part of Violet Greene. There is no use of violet although, in the untouched images you would be able to see that I'm wearing a violet coloured shirt - so it's there in spirit.
Next I worked on a bio which you can view on my Myspace page here http://www.myspace.com/thegreenehouse
It's not an easy thing writing a Bio as you want to present yourself in a positive light without sounding like you think you're the best thing since sausage filled pizza crust. Also, it should be a work in progress and should be updated regularly - this is the part where I've been very unsuccessful, but I am working on it.
Then I created some stationery such as a business card. However I wasn't thrilled with the results of my limited graphic design skills and would like to give this another shot and include ideas for T-shirts, caps, badges, and other promotional items.
I have set-up profiles on all the major social networking sites and, as soon as I have some recorded tracks to present, I will be making more frequent use of them as a means to generating interest and support for my music.
So, with the basics in place I'm hopefully on my way to becoming a house hold name ;) or just famous in my suburb - either way, the joy of music is in the making. Violet has been writing poetry and music since pre-pubescence and has even had some of her songs played on local radio and television stations. Fame, however, is not the goal, writing good music with which people can identify is. But, even more importantly, and somewhat selfishly, Violet Greene likes to make music for her own enjoyment and creative satisfaction - if it is well-received by others, that's great, but it's a by-product of a richer experience. Besides...people's tastes are fickle and often their understanding and appreciation is limited - just look at poor Vincent van Gogh - he sold one painting in his lifetime yet now we swoon over his work. The artists pleasure is at the forefront of his/her creation - public interest is handy if you are to make a living, but not essential to validate its worth - or at least this is what Violet likes to believe.
For now the No. 1 item on my Violet Greene Things To Do list is RECORD YOUR MUSIC!! Seeing as I have about 15 years worth of written songs I have quite the backlog! And I'm going to share more on this in future posts.
As a parting shot; I had a freaky experience recently. Two years ago I created a Facebook account for myself, but have hardly used it as I've not felt ready to "unveil" myself to the world at large as I need to have my songs recorded first. Anyhoo...I got one or two friend requests which I accepted, but hardly visited the account until one day when I decided to update it a bit. Whilst updating the info. on my profile one of these friends began a chat with me. This guy was chatting to me as if we'd known each other very well in the past. So of course I played along for a bit to see where he was going with this sillyness, only to discover that he honestly believed me to be a girl he knew who is named Violet Greene and apparently could be my twin!!! It's one thing to share the same name, but to share the same name and looks!??! That's just freaky!!! In German they call it a doppelganger and the legend is that if you come face to face with your doppelganger you could die - they would suck up your soul (or something equally uncomfortable). Let's hope I never meet this Violet Greene on the street!
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