Energy Tools for the Artist, Leader, Entrepreneur: The Naked Vibes Show

There's always a story behind the song.

Christmas & holiday music can really set the tone for our gatherings & our overall feeling around this sacred time of year. In this episode, I share some of the favorites that I’ve recorded & performed with my sister, Kelly Brown, first as the duo Frankly Scarlet & now as Local Honey. Enjoy the music of the season & the stories behind the tunes.

All songs in this episodeare available for download on ITunes (links at the bottom of this post).

Show Notes:2:50 - Story: “Holiday Cheer” - originally written by Kelly Brown as a short piece for the National Cheerleaders Assoc. when they performed at the Hula Bowl. It later became a full song that she & I perform at the annual Local Honey Holiday Mix.

4:42 - SONG: “Holiday Cheer” (Live from the Local Honey Holiday Mix) - Get both live & studio version on ITunes!

7:58 - Story of deep family trauma, a “silent” pilgrimage to the Holy Land, & the song that showed up on the bus to Galilee.

12:33 - SONG: “Mary’s Very First Christmas” - written by Wood Newton, Mike Loudermilk, & Daniel Johnson. Performed by Kelly Brown & Local Honey (featuring Kim Brown Cain).

16:03 - On to the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville to perform “Mary’s Very First Christmas” - our first rendition, learneden-route to the Bluebird!

18:21 - STORY:  The surreal journey of our mothers passing at the holidays & the beautiful music that resulted.

20:29 - SONG: “Jingle (Oh, What Fun)”

23:26 - Minor keys bring a mystical feel to sacred songs & call up some of the deeper emotions associated with Christmas. “Coventry Carol”, a medieval carol dating back to the 16th Century (or earlier), is from a lullaby sung by mothers of children in the “Massacre of the Innocents”, when Herod ordered the murder of all male children under the age of two. “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” conjures the knowledge of “God with us”. We know this, innately, in our spirits.

25:04 - SONGS: “Coventry Carol” & “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”

32:27 - SONG: Now for some sexy! “Santa Baby”

36:18 - SONG: “Mary, Did You Know” (Live from the Local Honey Holiday Mix)

41:11 - Intentional awareness of love saves us.

42:15 - No matter what path we’re taking, putting our attention on our spiritual life can make the greatest difference. The most powerful thing I’ve ever experienced is the Christ Consciousness - the boundless love of God.

Happy Holidays. Merry Christmas. Be love.

• More from songwriter, Wood Newton, in Ep012 of the Naked Vibes Show.

Songs also available on ITunes:Local Honey album - "Jingle"Frankly Scarlet album - "Rejoice"Local Honey single - "Mary's Very First Christmas"

Want more? Abundance begins with gratitude for what you have now.

It's rare to find a person who doesn't want more than he already has. It's part of the human condition. And, that's fine, because it drives us to be our best. The thing is, it can also rob us of our happiness.

When we spend our time wanting, never recognizing what we already have, we're choosing to experience a state of lack. That mindset can last a lifetime. Because, most often, what we "get" isn't quite what we thought it would be, so we have to start "wanting" again. 

Gratitude will get you out of that loop, pronto. Start saying "thank you" in your heart. It'll free your mind.

 

This podcast episode & video from the live REALM Gathering is full of great music from Bryan Wakeland (Polyphonic Spree, Tripping Daisy) & Brian Miller. Listen & let it fill you up with gratitude & thanksgiving.

To get you to spots of interest in the video quickly:

0:00 – Welcome to The REALM

:50 – How often are you out of gratitude?

2:43 – the quickest remedy for getting out of lack & into feelings of abundance

3:33 – Song - Bryan Wakeland with Brian Miller – “Devil in Paradise”

7:45 -- Gratitude as the key to Abundance - recognizing in a conscious way

10:22 – Story of chameleon visiting again, as a reminder of Love’s presence

13:46 – A Course in Miracles teaching about the size of miracles & how to “receive” them

15:05 – Why is “receiving” so difficult for us? Accepting thanks.

15:43 – The transference of “goodness” requires us to open & receive. “You’re welcome”, instead of

16:20 - “You’re welcome” says, “I’m happy to have done that for you.” Very different from “No problem” as a response

17:12 – Recognizing the love that we have to give

17:48 – Story of Sedona, AZ teaching Higher Consciousness & Native American understanding of the lessons of the land

20:10 – taking the word God out of religious framework & recognizing it as “goodness”

21:13 – Creation rejoices with us in our thankfulness. Watch how a rescued animal responds to you!

21:53 – Presence of the “I AM” fills us

22:27 – Christ Consciousness – nothing can harm us when we fill ourselves with this

23:07 - Song - Bryan Wakeland with Brian Miller – “Rainy Day Jesus”

26:59 – Movement Meditation – “Grateful Heart” – with Brian Miller

32:17 - Song - Bryan Wakeland with Brian Miller – “So Free, That’s Me”

35:36 – Radical EvolutionAry Love Makers - what does that mean?

• Rhythmic Movement Meditations - Music is scientifically proven to provide health benefits in every area of life. Use these tools to help you connect with your highest state of excellence & primal essence, so you can shift your energy for greater clarity, courage, focus, & vitality. A potent combination of your sexual energy combined with your spiritual energy. GET THESE POWERFUL MOVEMENT MEDITATIONS NOW! & experience it for yourself. Listen to this attorney talk about his experience of finding a new position as a corporate VP when he used these meditations.

•  Please understand this is not a claim that you will have the same or similar experiences. Rhythmic Movement Meditations are simply tools to help you learn to shift your own energy through powerful practice.

• The Naked Vibes Show is sponsored by RockItU - Get a Free Video to help you hone your intuitive skills for practical use in everyday life - from the online video course, "Beyond Religion: How to Pray & Get Answers".

Sign up for Kimberly's newsletter to stay in the know about upcoming videos, courses, performances, & more! Get a free Instant Ignition Worksheet to help you tap into your most powerful creative energy when you confirm your subscription.

Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a celebration of life. A celebration of those souls who have walked the earth with us & shared their love. It falls right after Halloween, All Souls Day & All Saints Day. So, there's a lot 'o life around the subject of death at this time of year!

It's some serious fun to celebrate. But what about when it's not fun? When darkness seems to rule the day & we don't know where to turn?

Watch this video from The REALM to hear some spooky, supernatural stories, inspired songs, & a message about how, when faced with real uncertainty & grief in our lives, we can call on Love. From the death of a loved one to the daily deaths we face in our jobs, relationships & finances, there is no call too great or too small for Love to answer.

Oh, yeah...& there's a dance party involved. Movement heals. It's a sure-fire way to dance out the darkness!

To get you to spots of interest in the video quickly:

0:00 – Welcome to The REALM – Celebrating Dia de los Muertos

4:23 – Darkness of Amber Hagerman’s death leads to light in a song

5:13 – Song - “Love Will Win”

8:44 - Inspiration - "When Darkness Rules – Call on Love"

9:25 – The way to light when darkness falls (Amber Alert, Adam Walsh, John Walsh of America’s Most Wanted, & 9/11)

11:10 – Angels in sacred texts

12:09 – Daily deaths to finances, relationships, etc. threaten security. What do we do?

12:58 – Spooky stories (Love wins!)

17:20 – Hospice – death takes place over about a month ; the spirit knows it’s leaving.

19:19 – Story – Hands crippled from arthritis relax just before life transition

21:24 – Reading from A Course in Miracles – when you take in what is sacred & let it live in your heart, it overrides negative thinking

23:33 – Story of George Harrison’s passing – a “brilliant light” in the room

24:59 – Song - "The End of the Beginning" - Brian Miller

29:44 – Movement Meditation – “Chains / Unfolding”

32:05 – Enjoy being in the body! Dancing out the darkness after The REALM Gathering

• Rhythmic Movement Meditations - Music is scientifically proven to provide health benefits in every area of life. Use these tools to help you connect with your highest state of excellence & primal essence, so you can shift your energy for greater clarity, courage, focus, & vitality. A potent combination of your sexual energy combined with your spiritual energy. GET THESE POWERFUL MOVEMENT MEDITATIONS NOW! & experience it for yourself. Listen to this attorney talk about his experience of finding a new position as a corporate VP when he used these meditations.

•  Please understand this is not a claim that you will have the same or similar experiences. Rhythmic Movement Meditations are simply tools to help you learn to shift your own energy through powerful practice.

• The Naked Vibes Show is sponsored by RockItU - Get a Free Video to help you hone your intuitive skills for practical use in everyday life - from the online video course, "Beyond Religion: How to Pray & Get Answers".

Sign up for Kimberly's newsletter to stay in the know about upcoming videos, courses, performances, & more! Get a free Instant Ignition Worksheet to help you tap into your most powerful creative energy when you confirm your subscription.

The Naked Vibes Show features conversations with musicians, artists & healers to ignite your creative genius & elevate you in your spiritual growth.

This episode of The Naked Vibes Show features multi-talented recording & performing artist, Brian Miller. Songwriter, guitarist, & producer are his primary roles, but he brings so much more to the projects he creates with other artists. Brian discusses the skills he uses to collaborate & help bring their work to life, as well as the inspiration for his own music.

Listen up musicians, artists, entrepreneurs, & leaders. Whether you’re a musician or not, you’ll glean valuable tips to sweeten your own creative work. Brian’s wisdom applies, not only to musical collaboration, but to personal & professional relationships alike. Bonus - Brian plays an original tune live on his travel guitar.

SHOW NOTES:

3:27 - Brian Miller has been a creative collaborator & band mate of mine for years, bringing an ease & flow to the creative process. He's well known for bringing this same vibe to many artists who've had the pleasure to work with him.

4:04 - How does Brian work with so many different artists & keep his individual creative conscience while also bringing out the best in their work?

5:01 - When you check your ego at the door, there’s no conflict. Brian talks about the “servant” mentality & the integrity of bringing your own creative contribution while also serving the other person or project.

5:41 - Bands strive for democracy, but in reality, someone has to rise up into a position of leadership. A lot of bands fail when they lack this understanding.

6:15 - A band that’s operating well is a great example of deep listening skills. If the players don’t engage in the practice of deep listening, it’s a train wreck.

6:56 - Being in a band forces individual players to do things they wouldn’t have done otherwise - to stretch their creative limits.

7:16 - Some bands stand the test of time because they work out their understanding of roles & allow a leader to emerge that brings a cohesiveness. Successful businesses of any kind operate this way. The principles apply in successful marriages as well.

8:00 - Our culture is well-versed at the active principle - making our voices heard. We need more practice with the receptive principle - really listening, so we can respond better.

8:11 - How does Brian listen for creative inspiration? He explains that it’s spiritual & internal, yet it’s undefined. It suddenly appears & then he has to grab onto it, work it, & grow it.

9:08 - The genesis of ideas works the same way for entrepreneurs. When you open yourself to new possibilities, you find the idea or answer has been right in front of you all along.

9:32 - Be open to the understanding that knowledge & the creative spark appear instantly, so you can grasp it when it does. It’s a primal force & all of our good emotions & intentions come from this same place.

10:14 - LIVE MUSIC: “Penance” by Brian Miller.

• Rhythmic Movement Meditations - Music is scientifically proven to provide health benefits in every area of life. Use these tools to help you connect with your highest state of excellence & primal essence, so you can shift your energy for greater clarity, courage, focus, & vitality. A potent combination of your sexual energy combined with your spiritual energy. GET THESE POWERFUL MOVEMENT MEDITATIONS NOW! & experience it for yourself. Listen to this attorney talk about his experience of finding a new position as a corporate VP when he used these meditations.

•  Please understand this is not a claim that you will have the same or similar experiences. Rhythmic Movement Meditations are simply tools to help you learn to shift your own energy through powerful practice.

• The Naked Vibes Show is sponsored by RockItU - Get a Free Video to help you hone your intuitive skills for practical use in everyday life.

Sign up for Kimberly's newsletter to stay in the know about upcoming videos, courses,

Loneliness is a growing problem in our global society.

You're not alone in your feelings of loneliness. Learn a simple exercise to help you connect to your own powerful essence & to your community in this Tune Your Vibes segment of The Naked Vibes Show.

SHOW NOTES:

1:36 - A financially successful, mid-30’s entrepreneur confesses the problem of his growing loneliness over the last decade.

2:48 - Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging & the Courage to Stand Alone by Brene Brown, PhD. Studies show 20% of the U.S. population reported feelings of loneliness in the 1980’s. Today, that has doubled & rates of reported  loneliness are growing rapidly around the world.

3:17 - Brown says sorting ourselves further & further into groups of like-minded people, rather than growing our sense of belonging, is creating a greater effect of lonleliness. She titles one of her chapters, People are hard to hate close up. Move in.

4:36 - The less we learn about others, the more likely our compassion for them is diminished. The practice of listening allows you to hear what’s not being said & creates deeper levels of understanding.

5:30 - Livestream event with Radical EvolutionAry Love Makers, aka The REALM, featuring Kimberly Cain & Brian Miller. A recorded segment from the live presentation, Harmony & Foreplay.

7:01 - Balance System helps you understand how to bring yourself back into balance when you feel pulled off center by daily stressors. Why do you want to do this? Because it creates more pleasure!

8:15 - Exercise: Experience the calming effect of tuning, in harmony, to the breath of another person.

10:55 - Brian accompanies Kimberly, with haunting guitar, on a spoken word journey that moves from broken systems into peace. This connects the use of primal energy as spiritual awakening + conscious use of intuition & creativity.

15:24 - You’re not alone - however, connection requires you to lean in to others & move through the discomfort you may feel when you're not in agreement. It can lead to moments of intimacy you never imagined & healing on an exponential level.

16:28 - The Christ Consciousness is the most powerful energy available to us, as Love never dies. Jesus taught us how to elevate our energy to the highest levels of spiritual mastery. He said, "I AM with you always".  

17:52 - Relax into ending conflict within the self, between one another, & in the world as a remedy for loneliness.

Rhythmic Movement Meditations get you connected & aligned in your body & your spirit to help awaken your energy. Music is scientifically proven to provide health benefits in every area of life. Use it intentionally. Create harmony within yourself & with others to overcome feelings of loneliness & get reconnected. Download the meditations & experience it!

Watch this video, on NakedVibes.com, of an attorney who shifted from anxiety during a long job transition & into a knowledge of his own personal power in less than 30 days, by using these Rhythmic Movement Meditations. He credits this as one of the primary tools that gave him the courage & energy to present himself more fearlessly & landed him a position as a corporate VP. That's the creative energy at work. And it's no different than the energy you desire to awaken in any area of your life.

 Todd Watson - Attorney, Vice President, Marco's Franchising

"Beyond Religion: How to Pray & Get Answers" - If it’s hard for you to find your connection to a Higher Source, this video series can help. Get a Free Video from the series.

Heaven, a novel - shifting perspectives in the way God & sex relate.

 

 

 

• There's no guarantee that you’ll have the same results with any of the tools listed above, but using them can help you gain new perspectives. And that may create dramatic shifts in your life.

The Naked Vibes Show features conversations with musicians, artists & healers to ignite your creative genius & elevate you in your spiritual growth.

This episode features juried artist, Gloria Newton, from a conversation in her Nashville studio. This audio was taken from the Naked Vibes TV episode where Gloria joined me to show her art & talk about the creative process, the fact that it's never too late to dive in to your creativity, & more.

Enjoy the show on NAKED VIBES TV:

SHOW NOTES (times are for audio podcast)

2:10 - Gloria Newton, artist, says she got started late in the game. Julia Cameron, in The Artist's Way, talked about how she'd still be the same age in ten years, but wouldn't know how to play the piano, so it's right to get started at any age.

3:05 - Gloria explains how the “unknown” is what keeps her going in her creative work.

3:45 - Most people fear the unknown. Gloria did at one time, but her art has taken her beyond it. She talks about what shuts us all down & the revelation of what breaks us free.

4:38 - Where do the ideas come from?

5:37 - The key to making anything work. It’s all about the foundation.

6:30 - The creative process itself brings freedom. The project reveals its self when we just do the job of putting the elements down.

7:29 - Is there really destruction - or is it just another beginning?

8:01 - Fear of death - fear of killing off our creations (our lives). Moving through it takes us to bold new levels.

11:30 - As an abstract painter, Gloria feels like she often goes into a Zen-like state, a place of none-thinking, during her sessions. Other times, she can’t get there. The process can be hard, but she keeps at it because she doesn’t know where she would be without it.

12:29 - The promise of new ideas emerging on their own - things she could never have thought of unless she was in the process - compels Gloria to keep going when it gets hard.

12:51 - Gloria studied art history & was influenced by Helen Frankenthaler, Paul Klee, Pollack, Gorky.

13:51 - We’re inspired by what goes in, so it comes out in new ways. It’s a total life. All of our experiences are valuable, more fluid than we realize.

14:47 - Gloria doesn’t like to put a finite definition on her work, but abstract towards non-objective probably comes the closest. It comes from an emotional place.

15:12 - Labels - we use them in order to communicate, but we’re all richer & more complex than that.

15:52 - Gloria’s paintings have been in juried shows: Huntsville Museum, Parthenon, Columbia State solo show. You can see the video from the Columbia show here. (soon to come)

16:29 - Gloria’s two-sided works - you can walk around them. Painted on wood panel & suspended from ceilings or mounted on bases - sometimes rotating on a ball bearing. Her husband, Wood Newton, builds her frames, which are also a work of art.

18:41 - The use & blending of color is one of Gloria’s finest talents & skills. Her favorite medium is acrylic & she uses all kinds of tools & techniques to bring depth & curiosity to her work, such as the placement of objects, wire, & windows that reveal secondary paintings within the primary piece.

19:23 - It seems many artists have particular mediums that work better for them than others - mediums that flow better as extensions of their bodies, even.

21:03 - A little hidden key in one of Gloria’s paintings brings a squeal of delight from moi!

23:43 - Collective consciousness - does art want to be born through us, therefore coming through the artist most receptive at the time & with the skills to manifest it?

24:19 - A new technique is born through the accidental puncturing of one of Gloria’...

This Tune Your Vibes segment of The Naked Vibes Show will help save the planet by making you a better lover & keeping the sexual fire stoked in your marriage. Yep. More & better sex in your marriage means less divorce in the world. Giddy-up!

SHOW NOTES:

:29 - Show sponsored by RockItU - Rhythmic Movement Meditations. Audio tracks that take you on a journey to awaken your energy for vitality, courage, drive & passion. Especially helpful if your sexual energy has been numbed out. As a performer & a Remo Drums HealthRhythms Facilitator, I've seen the powerful & evidence-based shifts in energy that can be created through drumming. Download & play them on good speakers, so you can feel the low end frequencies. Then let me know, in the comments, about your experience using them!

1:30 - Sex + God - get these two powerful energies connected!

1:52 - Too many married couples are not having sex.

2:25 - Sex is a mysterious place where we can go to meet God.

3:35 - Love is the key.

4:20 - God minus sex can mean no movement or creativity.

4:29 - Sex minus God can lead down a long, dark tunnel into numbness.

5:24 - Sex in the media. Why does it get such good ratings?

5:50 - Porn, used to take the place of intimacy in marriage, eventually leads to desensitization.

6:56 - Why do we have to engage in intimacy? Why can’t we just f*#k, already?! When you create intimacy, you can have both. It’s up to you to create it.

8:10 - Daily spiritual practice can bring new ways of seeing & experiencing yourself & the other person.

9:24 - Falling in & out of love is not a real thing. You choose a state of love, so if you step out of it, you can, intentionally, step back into it.

10:30 - Many marriages that are not engaged in a loving sexual practice end in divorce. It doesn’t have to be that way. You can reconnect through intentional sexual practice. Disconnecting sex from spirit = death!

12:21 - Listening to deep bass grooves in music can bring on sexual feelings. It’s a vibration that travels through the body. Use it to awaken the energy.

12:57 - Spirituality is sexy!

13:49 - Religion is not the answer to spiritual balance, as most of it is pretty uncomfortable with sexuality.

14:10 - Good sex is God+Sex. It releases pleasure-producing hormones & brings joy.

15:18 - Music is a way to invigorate & enliven your sex life & reach into higher states of being. Sex, engaged intentionally as a practice of love, can change everything in your marriage.

16:07 - SONG: “House of Pain” - Frankly Scarlet (Kelly Brown & Kim Brown Cain).

Frankly Scarlet opened David Bowie’s Sound+Vision Tour & performed at Lilith Fair with Sarah McLachlan & Bonnie Raitt. The song, "House of Pain", was featured on George Gimarc’s Tales from the EDGE CD, put out by Dallas radio station KDGE.

21:01 - Challenge to married people: Make more love! Your own joy, pleasure & health will ripple out into your family, your workplace & the world.

22:09 – Rhythmic Movement Meditations get you connected & aligned in your body & your spirit to help awaken your energy. Music is scientifically proven to provide health benefits in every area of life. Use it intentionally. Empower yourself. Download the meditations & experience it!

Watch this video, on NakedVibes.com, of an attorney who shifted from anxiety during a long job transition & into a knowledge of his own personal power in less than 30 days, by using these Rhythmic Movement Meditations. He credits this as one of the primary tools that gave him the courage & energy to present himself more fearlessly & landed him a position as a corporate VP. That's the creative energy at work. And it's no different than the energy you can awaken in your marriage & sex life.

 Todd Watson - Attorney, Vice President, Marco's Franchising

The Naked Vibes Show features conversations with musicians, artists & healers to ignite your creative genius & elevate you in your spiritual growth.

This episode features Grammy-winning songwriter, Wood Newton, a veteran of the Nashville music scene, a performing artist & activist. This audio was taken from a Naked Vibes TV episode where Wood joined me to play live & to share conversation about the creative process, his insights on the importance of commitment in relationships, his activism on behalf of songwriters' constitutional rights, & more. Wood is well-known in music circles as a lyricist adept at turning a phrase. He has a great sense of humor, so we enjoyed some good laughs!

Enjoy the show on NAKED VIBES TV:

SHOW NOTES:

1:55 - SONG - LIVE PERFORMANCE: "Private Malone" performed live by Wood Newton at the Bluebird Cafe, Nashville.

6:31 - We're recording our conversation in the studio of painter, Gloria Newton. Wood respects this as her sacred space. We all need sacred space for our creativity to blossom.

7:04 - Wood has over 2000 songs in his catalog, recorded by Kenny Rogers, Alabama, Steve Wariner, Oak Ridge Boys, David Ball, B.J. Thomas, Anne Murray, George Jones, Restless Heart & many more.

7:42 - Everyone is creative. As a songwriter, Wood's antennae are always up for new phrases & ideas. Inspiration comes from everywhere. It's amazing what people say on Facebook. Watch out  - that could end up in a song!

9:00 - Wood respects the ideas that other songwriters share as part of their own creative work. Though inspiration is everywhere, ideas shared as titles or "works in progress" are not up for grabs.

9:35 - Tim & Miles Thompson had the idea for the song, "It's Time For Me To Go" & Wood helped them phrase it. One of his strong suits is creating phrases that work easily for the singer. Great video on YouTube.

10:33 - Wood has collaborated with so many other songwriters. He talks about the benefits of collaboration & the way that process continues to benefit him even when he's writing solo.

11:40 - When you're writing with another artist & the hair on your arms stands up, you've probably got something! The intuitive nature of creativity is where the power lies - & that comes into play in business, relationships, & every other endeavor.

12:26 - Wood relies on his intuition as his editor in writing & business. He's been published by Sony, Jerry Crutchfield at MCA, Kenny O'Dell & Bob Montgomery at House of Gold Music, Jim & David Malloy, Even Stevens & Eddie Rabbit. Wood counts on his intuition to alert him to what direction to take, even moreso now that he runs his own publishing business.

13:30 - Wood pays close attention to his emotions about an idea when writing. Joy, sadness, & fun are all guides. He loves the comedy of Roger Miller. What a laugh!

13:58 - Miller's song "Husbands & Wives" brings forth strong emotions. Wood talks about the premise of this song, pride, being the demise of many good relationships. Celebrating his 42nd wedding anniversary on the date of this video shoot, we discuss the richness of lasting relationships.

15:09 - There's freedom in commitment. Wood tells the story of meeting a couple celebrating their 50th anniversary & telling them, "That's a good start!" He also tells of marrying Gloria in Oklahoma because there was no waiting period. When he shared their story on Facebook, it got more "likes" & comments than anything he's ever posted - & he has over 5000 fans there. That says something about the fact that people ultimately want good, lasting relationships. Wood talks about never taking your relationships for granted.

16:57 - Many young men have come forward searching for answers to that these days. Wood is happy to share his wisdom with them in these personal areas & is also open to creative collaboration with writers getting their start.

The Naked Vibes Show features conversations with musicians, artists & healers to ignite your creative genius & elevate you in your spiritual growth.

This episode features musician/songwriter, Reggie Rueffer of Spot (rock band formerly with Interscope Records) & touring violinist for Charlie Pride. His other bands/projects include The Hochimen & Mildred. In this radio archive, Reggie joined me in the studio to play live & to share his insights on the creative process. Some spicey conversation ensues.

SHOW NOTES:

2:34 - SONG: "Hymn" from the Heaven, the novel Soundtrack. Written & performed by Reggie Rueffer. This special version is only available on the complimentary CD that comes with the book.

7:57 - Story of how “Hymn” came to be. Reggie talks, with humor, about how easily he was able to write about religious issues mixed with sexual issues - & with the added challenge of writing from a woman’s perspective.

10:40 - Example of how creative ideas are not our own, but are shared universally.

11:03 - Sexual repression brought on by outside forces shapes our relationships & ability to express ourselves.

11:56 - Sexual energy can be channeled through artistry & music. Great examples - Scott Weiland (Stone Temple Pilots) & Prince.

13:08 - SONG - LIVE PERFORMANCE: “Brush with Religion” - Tierra del Gato - Hochimen.

17:33 - Reggie & his brother, Chad, performed on the Local Honey Holiday Mix show with my sister, Kelly, & me. Reggie’s favorite part of the night was when we did “Noelle Nouvelet” as Brothers & Sisters.

18:34 - Broad range of musical influences & perspectives - classical training from SMU + rock star bands Mildred (XTC-inspired rock ’n roll) & Spot.

19:17 - Mildred lyrics were inspired by Reggie’s experience as a Christian.

19:54 - Perceptions of Frankly Scarlet, the band I shared with my sister, were often that it was a Christian band because we sang about Love & Consciousness. You can't remove who you are from your art.

20:38 - Expanding, through art, leads to places that are larger than religion. Music helps people connect on deeper levels.

20:56 - Great pop songs have always been written about “boy meets girl”. Reggie originally wrote more about the issues of the day.

21:36 - True that you’re perfectly who you are. Perfectly human. Mistakes & all. Recognizing this creates so much freedom.

22:05 - Fun with the collaborative process between Reggie & me for the Heaven soundtrack, on “Exposed”, by fictitious band XXX.

23:43 - Bands that play live exactly as the recording sounds often have no passion. It becomes craft instead of art. Art has to stretch. It can bring the darker human emotions a little closer to the surface, so we can recognize we’re not alone in those feelings. Example: Van Gogh’s paintings.

25:25 - SONG: “Exposed” - XXX - Heaven soundtrack. Only available on the complimentary CD that comes with the novel, Heaven. Written by KB Cain & R. Rueffer. Performed by Reggie Rueffer.

29:43 - Mistakes can turn out to be better than the original. When a voice cracks or someone hits the "wrong" chord, it can be a beautiful serendipity.

30:51 - The version of “Hymn” that can only be found on the CD that comes with Heaven, a novel is the original demo version & has more of a raw sexuality to it, more vulnerability. The Hochimen version on Tierra del Gato, called “Hymn To Them All” is more polished.

32:38 - Reggie is an accomplished violinist & fiddle player, touring with Charlie Pride.

33:31 - SONG - LIVE PERFORMANCE: “Hymn To Them All” - violin instrumental.

36:37 - What happens when an artist loses himself in “The Zone” & creativity flows without filters.

Special Edition of The Naked Vibes Show in tribute to Chris Cornell - musician, singer, songwriter - who passed on May 18, 2017, leaving the music community stunned & with a feeling of deep loss. His music - recording & performing with Soundgarden, Audioslave, Temple of the Dog, & several solo albums - has been a soulful part of many a life soundtrack.

Chris Cornell 2011 Photo Credit: Wikipedia

SHOW NOTES:

1:12 - I had a different podcast scheduled for today - an archived conversation with my friend Reggie Rueffer, a brilliant musician/singer/songwriter, who with his band, Spot, was on the same record label as Chris Cornell at one time. Interscope. You’ll hear some related music from Reggie in this episode.

1:40 - Chris Cornell’s death took the whole music community by surprise & his songs have been running through my mind ever since I heard the news. I’ve awakened in the middle of the night to “Fell on Black Days” several times. So, I felt it was important for me to change the podcast schedule & talk about him & how impactful his music has been on me. “Fell on Black Days” - Soundgarden from Superunknown

2:05 - Most of it can't be put into words - as is usually the case with any person who passes from our lives - whether in our families, friendships - or in the landscape of our artistic lives. Music is an intimate relationship. It connects all of us. Artists channel our personal, as well as our collective emotions & our deepest levels of expression - levels that many people could never reach without the music. It’s a wave that allows all of us to ride.

2:43 - Chris Cornell died just after Soundgarden’s show in Detroit - apparently by suicide - though reports say his wife is disputing that & many close friends are shocked because his previous behavior didn’t indicate anything like that. She says he may have taken an extra dose of his anxiety medication, of which suicidal thoughts are a potential side effect. So, we don’t really know - this is only what’s in the news at the moment.

3:10 - Last podcast, I talked about the Divine or Sacred Feminine - & Chris certainly embodied that energy. He was such a masculine man, but his lyrics & music bring forth the mystery of human nature - the deeper secrets, longings & desires - & it taps into those places where all of us house things we don’t know & don’t understand - the secret places.

3:39 - Death is one of those secret places. One of those places we don’t like to talk about much, but we need to - for many reasons & on many levels. For one, to remove the stigma. And also, to bring into the light, the things that cause people to feel alone & eventually find themselves in a place where they believe there is no other choice, but to exit the physical body.

4:05 - When I was writing my novel, Heaven, Chris Cornell’s music was a clear & present muse for me as that masculine presence, but one who also embodied the presence of the Sacred Feminine. The passage where Chris’ music comes into play is really the darkest & most explicit chapter of the book. It contains lyrics from “Pretty Noose” - Soundgarden from Down on the Upside. Should you read it, that particular chapter will take you on a journey into the deep mystery of the feminine energy - the place where our sexual & our spiritual nature connects. It illustrates the darker side of the feminine energy & how, when out of balance, it can lead us down a darker path than we ever intended to go. Music illuminates that path like nothing else can.

6:10 - In another chapter, the lead character in the book, Eve, is dancing to a song by a fictitious band, XXX. I wrote the lyrics for this song within the chapter, & later completed the music. Because Cornell’s music (Soundgarden & Audioslave), along with Alice in Chains, had been such a constant companion during the writing process, I was really feeling that kind of vibe & energy.