Love Songs

How many more love songs can possibly be written?

Especially without inserting tired cliches?

Throughout history an uncountable number of tunes have been written on the topic.

Is there anymore we need to say about love?

Are we creative enough to concoct new & interesting ways of saying

"Love hurts" or "Your love changed me" or "I need your love"?

Have we tired out all options? Has that well but run dry?

Should we move on to a more unexamined subject like, say...rain that falls from the sky as tears fall from ones eyes? ;-)

Happy Black Friday

....well here in Philadelphia Thanksgiving is officially over.

Another Turkey Day bites the dust.

However, it is the official start of Black Friday.

As I'm typing this, it is precisely 3:45 AM, which means that, today, as utterly absurd as it seems, the Macy's Department store opens in just 15 minutes.

Just for kicks, I'd love to show up there at 4 AM just so I can witness first-hand what kind of shopaholic-wackos are in THAT much of a hurry to purchase the latest style of sheer black Playtex Pantyhose for an outstandingly discounted price before the rest of the day's crowds begin to stampede into the shoe department like a pack of merchandise-hungry wolverines.

Hmm. Should I?

Nah.

I reckon I'll retire to bed instead and gladly avoid the massively massive Black Friday masses.

Black Friday. Eeeek!

Quite honestly, the mere name of this post-Thanksgiving-day circus makes me quite uneasy.

Such a disturbing, eerie term for a day that marks the start of what's meant to be a joyous holiday season.

Black Friday brings to mind doom, gloom, death, a tortured caterwaul, a devastating, tragic, disastrous, apocalyptic occurrance.

Yikes. My head will be buried under the covers in T Minus 5 seconds.

5

4

3

2

1

.....

("I am woman, hear me roar

I'm numbers too big to ignore

And I know too much to go back and pretend
Cause I've heard it all before
And I've been down there on the floor
No one's ever gonna keep me down again
Oh yes I am wise
But it's wisdom born of pain
Yes, I've paid the price
But look how much I gained
If I have to, I can do anything
I am strong
I am invincible
I am woman")

music biz

You better try
Before you get old
Before you're nearly 23
And can't appeal to the tweens.
Yes you better try
Before you get too old
Before you're 29
...an old lady in their little eyes.
And it weighs on your mind:
"What will become of me in time?"
As years seem to fly...
So you better try
Before you get too old
Before you're 45
And they say you're way past your prime.

Cause when you're 45

With normal human facial lines

They prove your years of wisdom

But mask your inner fire.
So before it gets to late,
I'm telling you to try
There's a wholesome 15 year old girl-next-door
Who is waiting next in line!
Though she aint got what it takes,
Not a talented bone in her pure, skinny teenage frame
She's got young skin for now
And a hip one-syllable name.

Which is why she better try

Before it gets too late

Before her fans turn on her

For getting pregnant by mistake....

Ciao mi chiamo Gina Sicilia

I'm pretty sure that most people who hear my last name have absolutely no idea how to spell it.

And I'm not gonna deny it. It's a tough one, for sure.

I've seen some very insane variations of my last name: Ssciillia, Sicellia, Secellia, Cecillia, Saclia, Sicilicilicilia and so on and so forth. ;)

Whenever I'm on the phone and have to spell my name for somebody on the other end, well, I wont even go into it because I've done it soo many times that I'm pretty much waaay too used to it by now.

But if you wanna learn how to spell it and pronounce it, just think "Sicilian Pizza", without the "n" at the end, so it's: Sicilia!

And there you have it!

xo

Gina Ssciillia

Abortion

Here I am at Fat Rabbit Studios

Working on CD number three, or maybe five.

Yes here I am working at the studio tonight

Workin' on my new baby, will her eyes be green like mine?

The walls are a deep sensual red

The floor's a sweet cherry wood

Instruments are lined up like shiny homes

It's a musical neighborhood

The piano is old from decades ago

It stands against the wall

When it's played it cries so beautifully

It stands so proud and tall

The engineer is mixing

The producer is listening

They are top-notch musical surgeons,

You see, they are both the very same person

I'm at Fat Rabbit Studios in Jersey, U.SA

To record my 3rd musical baby

This cozy studio is where I came today

No way I'll ever abort this baby

Pink Paper

I love the feeling of singing a song on stage and knowing that I wrote it just for me, and that sometimes there's a history behind it...a true personal story. For example, when it's nostalgic, or was written while sitting in middle school math class, or on my bedroom floor as a very shy teenager surrounded by a mess of notebooks and lose pieces of pink paper filled with scribbled-out lines or words.

Throughout my songwriting history, my lyrics have been written on a multitude of different colored and styled pieces of paper:

Blue, yellow, and green post-it notes. These are easiest to lose and are mostly used for very simple lyric ideas which, a lot of the time, turn into full-fledged musical compositions. Tragically, a greater number of these post-it ideas aren't as fortunate in life, and remain where they started: Stuck to some other unfortunate piece of scrunched and scribbly paper, and imprisoned for all eternity in the dark, chilly confines of my bottom-left desk drawer, never again to see the light of day.

These days my technological method of writing lyrics has changed with the times, as I'm writing some of my lyrics on my laptop. I've written on a paper plate, a restaurant paper table covering, on back of supermarket receipts, a napkin, and even an airplane vomit bag. But aside from all that I prefer to stick to the old-fashioned approach to writing. The tried, true, and timeless method: Taking a notebook, turning to the next clear page, and just writing and scribbling and circling and making arrows and underlining and doodling and scratching out with a simple pen.

Sometimes my songs are winners, sometimes they're losers, and sometimes they're confused little wannabes lacking that inherent X Factor.

However, as long as they're my own words, that's all that matters to me, be they written on baby blue, fluorescent green, sunshiny yellow, girly violet, plain ol' white or Barbie Doll pink paper.

xo

G

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

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

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