Benefit concert for Candye Kane

Hey everybody!

On Sunday, April 27th at 3:00 PM I am excited to announce that I’m hosting a benefit concert for the fabulous Blues singer Candye Kane at Scotland Yard Bar in Hoboken, NJ.

For those of you who haven’t heard, Candye was recently diagnosed with cancer, and this benefit is being held to assist her financially through this tough time in her life.

The cover charge is a $20 donation, and all proceeds will be going directly to Candye.

I have begun planning a great night of music, with performers including Bob Margolin, Debbie Davies, Dave Gross, and Christine Santelli, among many others.

The rest of the lineup will be announced soon, so keep checking back to find out who else will be performing!

I sincerely hope everyone who can make it out will stop by for this great cause. Even if you do not know Candye, it is never a bad thing (if anything, it is a great thing) to help another human being in need.

Candye Kane has been writing often about this experience in her MySpace blog, updating her fans regularly about the status of her condition. To read Candye’s blog, click here.

Once again, more details are soon to come, so please do keep checking back!

See you on April 27th!

Gina

Benefit concert for Candye Kane

Hey everybody!

On Sunday, April 27th at 3:00 PM I am excited to announce that I’m hosting a benefit concert for the fabulous Blues singer Candye Kane at Scotland Yard Bar in Hoboken, NJ.

For those of you who haven’t heard, Candye was recently diagnosed with cancer, and this benefit is being held to assist her financially through this tough time in her life.

The cover charge is a $20 donation, and all proceeds will be going directly to Candye.

I have begun planning a great night of music, with performers including Bob Margolin, Debbie Davies, Dave Gross, and Christine Santelli, among many others.

The rest of the lineup will be announced soon, so keep checking back to find out who else will be performing!

I sincerely hope everyone who can make it out will stop by for this great cause. Even if you do not know Candye, it is never a bad thing (if anything, it is a great thing) to help another human being in need.

Candye Kane has been writing often about this experience in her MySpace blog, updating her fans regularly about the status of her condition. To read Candye’s blog, click here.

Once again, more details are soon to come, so please do keep checking back!

See you on April 27th!

Gina

New Column Published at RivetingRiffs.com

Coming Into My Own: The Process of Life and Music
By Gina Sicilia

I'm on the cusp of a new age.

As I write this, I am walking steadily up that one way, up hill, rocky, gutter-filled, potholed road.

In a little over a week, I will be turning 23 years old. As I walk closer to that new age in my life, I look back fondly on how far I have come in such a short period of time.

With every gig that I do, every song that I write, and every new observation I make about myself, about others, and the changing world around me, I am inching closer and closer to finding my own voice. At this point, I'm quite there yet, but am closer to settling gracefully into that big, comfy, worn-in leather chair of knowing who I am, and being who I am.

When I was younger, I wanted to be a star by the time I was sixteen. Ha!! In my foolish head I believed that to be any older than sixteen in the music business was too old. Of course, I was living in a world dominated by Britney Spears and Britney Spears wannabees. For sure, that unhealthy reality took its toll on me.

My reality check came the day that I turned sixteen and was still singing in just one empty venue, my bedroom, for no one, but the Mariah Carey pictures which I had taped to my wall.

Alright, I'll admit it without shame, I have been a life-long fan of Ms. Carey. She had a very big influence on my singing. Even after the Blues came a' knockin', I was still listening to Mariah CD's and emulating her voice, and it's seemingly endless range, power, and technical genius.

Anyway, back to the present, I now understand, and LOVE the fact that things in life only get better with time, age, and experience.

I mean, if, right now, at this very moment in time, I was the very best, smartest, most experienced, most mature person that I could be, how boring would that be?? It would be very boring. I revel excitedly in the idea that, with each day, I will continue to grow and evolve as a singer, artist and human being in general.

The process of planning my second album has been an eye-opener for me. Though I hope to have the record out by summertime, I am still at the writing stage. I am learning very quickly that I need to simply be the person who I am. I shouldn't force anything. I have to accept my writing as being something that is wholly me.

If I sit down at the piano with the intense desire to write something I feel I should be writing (according to me!!), and something totally different emerges, something better, something that is me, I can't get frustrated and ask myself what is wrong is wrong with you Gina?. I have to embrace and respect what I write.

If I don't have respect for what I am writing, I am insulting the essence of who I am, and I am suppressing my inspiration. When this happens, my heart and mind are closed, with everything that I write becoming forced and sounding like stale cardboard.

Each song on my next release will be 100%, organically, Gina Sicilia. I have gradually come to accept the fact that I must embrace myself as an artist, otherwise I will not be mentally, spiritually, or emotionally successful.

I love being young, and I used to be afraid of getting older. I am no longer afraid of having birthdays, however, will I joyfully embrace forty or fifty, in the same way that I am now embracing twenty-three? Who knows? I sure hope so.

I think the key to achieving embracing a certain age is in doing the best you can, making the best decisions you can, and living the best life you can, all while you are still in your youth.

Doing so is imperative to saving yourself from harboring any toxic, heart-eating, regrets as you get older. Without regrets you will have no reason or desire to return to a younger time in your life (Unless you want wrinkle-free skin again, but that is a whole other column and a half, and I'm quite positive I have zero expertise in that area!).

I am determined to live a regret free life. At twenty-two, I have zero regrets and do not intend on having any for the rest of my life.

Back to reality.

I'm still groping around, searching for those colorful puzzle shapes, that will piece together and render me a complete artist.

As I lay cuddling with myself on a soft leather couch at home, it's comfy, but it will only become comfier as I settle into that place of knowing exactly who I am.

I'm happily awaiting that day. For now, let's see what twenty-three will bring me!

Gina Sicilia for Riveting Riffs ©

Gina Sicilia is a 22-year-old blues & R&B artist, who resides in Philadelphia. She was recently nominated for a 2008 Blues Music Award under the category of "Best New Artist" for her critically acclaimed debut CD "Allow Me To Confess." The record has been receiving enormous radio play and has made a overwhelmingly positive impression within the Blues world. To visit Gina's website go to www.ginasicilia..com or to purchase Allow Me To Confess visit www.amazon.com All Gina's columns are accessible from the main Blues music page of Riveting Riffs

New Record/Career Updates

Hey y'all,

Just filling you in on the details for my next record, I know some people have asked about it. I've been spending a large chunk of my time planning and ensuring that it is something I'll be proud of--no rushing. I began thinking about the album and I what I wanted a while ago, but everything seems to be shaping up nicely now.

I have been writing a lot of new material and have begun experimenting with writing songs on piano. This has fared very well, I must say. My writing has undoubtedly taken on a new direction as a result of being inspired by some live shows I've recently attended, as well as some new songwriters I've been frequently listening to. My goal for this next record is to use my voice to its full potential without oversinging.

I've chosen a few cover songs that I am EXTREMELY excited about, and of course, there will be gospel. That right there is very important to me.

I have yet to begin recording, but, if all goes as planned, I'd say this next album will be very energetic, heavily melodic, and lyrically meaningful ( to me)

After the recording of the album, I will be off on my very first east coast tour! More details on that to come soon.

As we move through the months, I am MUCH anticipating the Blues Music Awards in Mississippi on May 8th. To perform there for the first time as a nominee will be nerve-wracking, yet thrilling at the same time. I look forward to reuniting with many friends and people whom I've had the pleasure of meeting this past year.

The album release will fall around BMA's season, so I'm looking very very forward to that. It is sure to be a special time.

Back to the present.

I am sincerely very proud to be a part of the VizzTone Label Group. I feel very lucky and extremely happy to be backed by such supportive and enthusiastic people as Richard Rosenblatt, Bob Margolin, and Chip Eagle. VizzTone is a new company, as it is only a little over a year old, but in that short amount of time it has received much success. I will continue to be excited as I watch VizzTone progress.

With that said, I'm off to do some more songwriting!

xoxox
Gina

Inch by inch, row by row, I’m gonna make this garden grow

Tonight I was reading Bob Corritore's newsletter. For those of you don't know, Bob (http://www.myspace.com/bobcorritore) is a wonderful blues harp player and is super involved in the blues community. I had the pleasure of meeting him at the Blues Music Awards last May and he was also a wonderfully nice person.

In addition to recording and performing, Bob hosts a blues radio show and owns a blues club in Arizona, The Rhythm Room.
He takes the time to release a regular blues newsletter that contains information on all sorts of blues happenings. It also offers ways readers can sort of contribute and communicate within the blues community.

What inspired me about the newsletter after reading it 5 minutes ago is that it totally dawned on me that it's people like Bob and the things he's doing that significantly help to create and maintain an important sense of community in this music niche.

Whether it's a newsletter, a messageboard, a club, a radio show,
a magazine, website, book, film or a simple blog.
Creating some kind of dialogue and encouraging interest, discussion, and contribution within the circle is what, to me, is so vital, so important to the continued longevity of this music.

I have always wanted to be someone as involved as Bob.
I want to open a blues club, start a magazine (see? my degree in journalism will not be wasted!!) start a label, help to sign and promote deserving blues artists, and write music for other artists. I want to do all of this. I want to help spread the word about blues to my generation as well as to those younger than my own.

I participated in Blues In The Schools last November and undoubtedly want to continue to do so. I encourage ALL blues musicians, especially the younger bunch, to consider doing that. You NEVER know who will be sitting in the audience at one of those schools. Even if it's one little 4th grader whose interest in the music you have sparked with one verse of your slow blues.
Sitting in the audience at those schools could be a future great blues musician, writer, or DJ. The young generation needs to be exposed to the music before they can like it. This is exactly what you would be doing at BITS. It is a very gratifying feeling and a good deed, indeed. :)
If you are interested in participating in Blues In The Schools, visit this link.

I encourage all of you who love and care about the blues to do as much as you can to do your part in preserving it. Inch by Inch, bit by bit, true preservation can begin. All the music needs is a whole lotta love. Is that SO much to ask?

If you have read through this entire thing, please respond by giving me your thoughts, ideas, and maybe even links to your favorite blues-related place or thing.

xoxo
Gina

The State of Marriage

Have you ever attended a wedding and found yourself thinking, "I wonder how long this one will last?"

Terrible, I know.

Today I was having a conversation with my mom about marriage and the ingredients for success, as well as the ingredients for failure within one.

Nowadays, divorce is making its mark everywhere:

On highway billboards, offering the best legal services
for those who want a divorce that is cheap, quick, and pain-free;

On TV-The show "Divorce Court" allows people
to find entertainment and comic relief in the pained lives of others;

At home, breaking apart families and potentially scarring vulnerable children for life.
When, in a family, a marriage ends, a family no longer exists, and a snowball of confusion and complication that could haunt everyone involved for the rest of their lives starts rolling.

I know quite a few people who are either terribly unhappy in their marriages, are on the brink of a divorce that was a long-time-coming, or are already divorced. I've been told horrific stories about troubled marriages. It's these kinds of stories, whether we hear them from a friend or on the news, that are rendering many folks terrified of entering into matrimony themselves.

All of this leads to the obvious questions of:
What exactly is going on in our society today? What exactly is the issue here? Why are so many people unhappy in their marriages? Over half of all marriages end in divorce, so obviously there is something serious going on.

Financial issues could be a big reason why couples bicker.

Selfishness, indifference to a spouse's needs, jealousies, bitterness, resentment, atomic bomb tempers, mania, are all potential reasons.

You also have the common issues of infidelity and more recently, spouses who come out of the closet (happening more and more).

Obviously, many, if not most people are picking the wrong spouses, spouses who are completely and utterly wrong for them. This is a major factor in sour marriages, I believe.

What goes into a marriage and what goes wrong in one are both very, very complex matters. I'm not to judge what makes a marriage fall apart, nor is anybody else. Nobody knows what goes on behind closed doors.

However, I'm simply going by what I have obvserved.

I also wonder if today's marriage problems are the same as they were back in the 1950's.

Divorce was pretty much non-existent back then, but this is because to get divorced in the 50's was essentially forbidden, for certain family, social, and religious reasons.

Now that people are less religious and divorce is widely accepted and practiced socially, the act of divorcing has become a vicious cycle.

Children of divorced parents are most likely to get divorced and handle
relationships the same way as their parents. If children hear their parents screaming with hatred at each other, they're most likely going to handle arguments with the same lack of respect and hostility.

Along with the throngs of people I know who are either pre or post divorce, I know some people who are miserable in their marriages, but still stick around for silly reasons and only become more stuck, more miserable, more helpless.

This leads me to believe that the rate of divorce could be higher if these people would ignore reasons to stay such as comfort, I-will-never-meet-anyone-else-at-this-point-in-my-life, and the burning fear of seeming like a failure, a loser, a weakling, someone who gives up.

These are just thoughts that I have. I don't know all the answers. Nobody really does.

Entering into marriage is pretty much a gamble these days. You can put a dollar in the slot machine but you're never guaranteed a win. The odds are that you will lose, but if you come out with more than you put in, you're either doing something very, very right, or are just blessed with luck.

I definitely want to get married someday. My parents have been married for 34 years and have been outstanding role models in that department. I have never ONCE heard my parents argue. They are still as giddy as they probably were when they met at the age of 17 back in 1968.

Witnessing such love and peace in my household growing up has embedded in me a sense of faith that someday my marriage will be successful and lasting.

Yes, divorce is everywhere, but I'm going to try to ignore all the discouraging situations, billboards, and tv shows, and roll the dice.

I will be rolling the dice with the right person and I have faith that this is enough to ensure me success.

xoxo
Gina

Nice review and thoughts on 2007

It's difficult to describe Gina Sicilia or her record without employing a whole bunch of clichés and making both sound like stereotypes– it's disrespectful and would demean a heck of record and a terrific performer. Facts are facts, though: she's got the goods. Big, big voice with the big Blues and Big Band sound, unbelievably "real" and deep and knowing for someone only 22. Big, swingin' sound from just a "little big band," only the organ and a jazz guitar plugged in, ten other horn and rhythm guys simply blowin' like there's no tomorrow. Big, fat blues tunes, most penned by Ms Sicilia herself, full of those big hurts, big bad dudes, and big attitudes. Big presence, too, starting with the big green eyes: she's got Big Star written all over. With all that, though, she never sounds like the same old, same old, which is why this reviewer is so big on Gina Sicilia, and you're gonna be, too! (Victory Music)

-----------------------------------

My, my, my. It's been quite a year.

Last Christmas my debut album hadn't even been printed up yet, and now...all of this.
I honestly NEVER expected it. I expected maybe a little radio play and some gigs. Never did I expect more, but I received more.

I have been SO SO SO lucky.

I know there is a fine line between being overly humble/modest and appearing ungrateful.

Ironically, what this past year's success has done has certainly humbled me. I'm not one to bring up in conversation with people good things that are happening. I don't want to seem like I'm bragging. Oftentimes I don't want other people (specifically other musicians) to know.
.
However, I also realize just how lucky I am, that things don't always happen so easily as they seem to have happened for me. I know they always wont. I will undoubtedly have down times. Everybody does and I'm expecting this. Who knows, maybe all of this is just a fluke. I'm preparing myself to NOT be disappointed if things start to not go my way.

I've barely scratched the surface of what I'm hoping will be a long career. I have only been doing gigs for 2 years. This is my life-long dream. When when I was 8 years old I used to brag to my family that I was going to go on world tour someday as a singer. I still want nothing more to having a career in singing. I'm not going to complain about any of this, that's for sure, and I would never give it back. This is what I want!

I don't want it to appear that I'm unappreciative of the good things or don't realize the magnitude of them or am not grateful enough.

Since I've never not had great things and opportunities like this in terms of trying to "make it", I don't know what it's like not to have them, and therefore do not know what immense gratefulness and appreciation would feel like for someone who finally reached certain goals or achieved certain things after a long time of falling short of that. Maybe it would be better for me and if I experienced failure after failure after failure.

I'm not trying to brag or toot my own horn here. I don't want this to be a self-indulgent, egotistical blog, but I do have to aknowledge just how lucky I have been over the last 10 or 11 months. I have to recognize that this is not all my own doing and I wouldn't have been able to do any of it without the helpful, supportive people I know and have met. I think by aknowledging this I am showing that I AM grateful. To mention nothing of it would signify that I'm indifferent, expected it, or am displeased. I have to be honest, and that's exactly what I'm doing.

So, thank you to EVERYONE who has supported me and helped me.

Let's see what the next 10 months brings!

To ignore the negativity and negative people, strive to improve, focus on the music, and be HONEST in everything I do are just a few of my resolutions.

I wish you all the best. Never let anyone discourage you from pursuing your dreams.

Hope your holidays were lovely and have a merry new year!!

<3
Gina

NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey everyone!!! Great news!!!
I am SO honored and SO thrilled to announce that this month I have signed with the prestigious Piedmont Talent booking agency for worldwide representation AND that I have been nominated for a Blues Music Award for "Best New Artist"!!!

You can go to http://blues.org/bluesmusicawards/nominees.php4 to vote for me!!!

Visit http://www.piedmonttalent.com to check out my new agency!!! :)

What a year it's been! I'm a lucky, lucky girl!

I never expected ANY of this to happen less than a year after releasing my debut CD!

How wonderful this has been!

I want to thank ALL of you who have supported me through all of this. I could not have accomplished what I have without your support.

I solemnly swear that I will be posting much more often...

For now, here is a silly photo of a pair of quite painful shoes that a fan in Virginia insisted on shooting of photo of!!



Happy holidays to you all and a very, very merry new year!

xoxo
Gina

Been a long time

To everyone who might read this,
I know it's been quite a while since I've written on here.
I plan on writing more frequently now.

In general, life is nearly perfect.

I just returned from my first midwest tour, which was fantastic.
Life is nice. I'm excited about many things.

Just one thing:

"I wish I had a river I could skate away on" -Joni Mitchell

Fragments of Wisdom

Always
Always
Always
Take the high road.

Always
Always
Always
Learn to forgive.

Never
Never
Never
(though it's a fundamental deficiency of human nature)
Allow yourself to be jealous.

Always
Always
Always
Be grateful for who & what you are.
For what you have.

Never
Never
Never
Dwell on what you do not have.

Always
Always
Always
Believe that everything is EXACTLY
as it is meant to be. I wholly believe this is true.

You may not have what you want,
but you have exactly what you're meant to have.
Accept this if you have the courage to do so.

Always
Always
Always
Be warm, supportive & kind to others.

Never
Never
Never
Pass up a warm glass of red wine.

Amen.