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My guest today on the show is the extraordinary bassist and songwriter, Jim Rojas. 

Today’s show topic is FOOD! - everyone's favorite topic.

Jim's single, “Provecho” is a fun tune that highlights the marvelous cuisine of Mexico.  I’m sure you’re gonna find this one engaging, satirical and lighthearted.  In Mexican culture, before starting a meal, it's common to say "provecho". It conveys the heartfelt wish that the meal will be enjoyable and beneficial for the person partaking in it.  It's a way of saying, “I hope you enjoy your meal”.  Much like saying …“Bon Appetite!” 

Jimmy’s had some fun on this one, combining great music, with top-notch musicians; mixing it all with his love for the food he grew up eating with his love for crafting great songs.  You’ll find a blend of diverse Mexican elements woven into the production along with satirical lyrics and yes, folks... there are real mariachi strings used on this track - helping to bring the authenticity home.  

Listen to "Provecho" on  Spotify
Discover Jim's full album on Spotify 

Featuring: 

Jimmy Branley on drums; Ricky "Z" Zahariades on guitars; Justo Almario on soprano and tenor saxophones, clarinet and flute; Gabriel Gonzalez - Lead Vocals; 

Songwriters: Jim Rojas, Joey Arreguin, Karina Vargas

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LOVE AND LAUGHTER MUSIC GROUP

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Host: Lisa M. Arreguin @ LivingCrazybrave.com
Recorded @ LoveandLaughterMusicGroup.com

Podcast Music: Joey Arreguin
Engineering & Sound Design: Trevor King

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Host: Lisa M Arreguin @ LivingCrazybrave.com
Recorded @ LoveandLaughterMusicGroup.com
Podcast Music: Joey Arreguin

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On today’s show, I have the pleasure of speaking with the incredible and talented FRANCISCO LOYO, Grammy-Award winning keyboardist, songwriter, producer, composer and LUIS MIGUEL'S musical director for over 20 years. Francisco walks us through his touring years with international recording artist  Luis Miguel, what it's like to perform in front of thousands and how to work as a professional songwriter in the business. 

Today we are highlighting Franciso’s original song “Lyle” which is a deeply moving composition that highlights jazz and classical influences.  We also get to hear Francisco talk about the amazing artists he commissioned for the project along with his heartfelt belief in the spiritual dimension of the songwriting process. 

Make sure to stay tuned until the end and I’ll give you my five point breakdown about what I learned by talking to the great FRANCISCO LOYO.

Francisco's song "Lyle" on YouTube - featuring Vinnie Calaiuta (Drums) - Frank Zappa, Sting, Herbie Hancock and more.

Francisco's song "Far Away" on YouTube - featuring Lalo Carrillo (Bass), Randy Brecker (Trumpet, and seven time Grammy award winning artist)  - Brecker Brothers, James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen and David Sanborn

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LIVING CRAZYBRAVE WEBSITE

LOVE AND LAUGHTER MUSIC GROUP

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Host: Lisa M Arreguin @ LivingCrazybrave.com
Recorded @ LoveandLaughterMusicGroup.com
Podcast Music: Joey Arreguin

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After meeting Austin Gilliam online for the interview, I now call him Awesome Austin.  Standing at 6’5” with his mountain man beard, edgy baritone voice, and beefy guitar lines, I can only imagine that Austin strikes a commanding presence on stage and in person.  

In this episode we talk about the making of his music, share some crazy gigging stories, and Austin  offers some real practical hit-the-ground-running DIY ways for musicians to effectively work in the business. 

Stay tuned to the end of the show to listen to my BULLET POINTED SUMMARY of Awesome Austins DIY music philosophy for working musicians.

Check out Austin Gilliams's website
Listen to  Austin song "I'm Fine" on  Spotify

BUY LISA'S BOOK "THE CRAZYBRAVE SONGWRITER"

LISTEN TO ALL OF THE CRAZYBRAVE PODCASTS

LIVING CRAZYBRAVE WEBSITE

LOVE AND LAUGHTER MUSIC GROUP

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Host: Lisa M Arreguin @ LivingCrazybrave.com
Recorded @ LoveandLaughterMusicGroup.com
Podcast Music: Joey Arreguin

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The band, Extra Soul Please (ESP) is a four piece brass band that has coined a new style of west coast music called SoCal Brasshouse.   With a west coast laid back sensibility, the music of ESP delights our senses all at once.

Our discussion ranged from a funny story in Las Vegas,  persistence as a musician in the biz and how music helps emotional strength in everyday life. 

No matter which ESP song you listen to, the melodies of the tight brass resonate into music that tells a story.  ESP's music feels deeply emotional and conversational all at once,  like a round table conversation between friends or maybe even a deeper conversation with just myself.   

Extra Soul Please consists of four players - Scott on Trombone, Matt on Baritone Sax, Luke on Drums and Ryan on Trumpet. 
 
Listen and watch the song "Serpent" in their official video on YouTube.

BUY LISA'S BOOK "THE CRAZYBRAVE SONGWRITER"

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LIVING CRAZYBRAVE WEBSITE

LOVE AND LAUGHTER MUSIC GROUP

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Host: Lisa M Arreguin @ LivingCrazybrave.com
Recorded @ LoveandLaughterMusicGroup.com
Podcast Music: Joey Arreguin

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EDDIE ESPINOSA  is a prolific songwriter, educator, worship leader, musician and composer.

One of his most famous songs is “Change my heart, Oh God” which has been sung and performed in churches all over the world and by countless vocalists since 1982.

We discuss the magic of one of Eddie's  greatest musical influences - The Beatles - and how their songs influenced his writing.  Our conversation gets deep about the creation of “Change My Heart, Oh God” and he takes us right inside the moment the song was created.   Eddie also gives us a glimpse into why and how this song has managed to spread organically from church to church and person to person over the years.

PURCHASE "THE CRAZYBRAVE SONGWRITER" BOOK  by Lisa M. Arreguin

STAY TUNED to the end of the show to hear Eddie’s live in-studio version of this amazing song.

Although there are many, I choose a few beautiful renditions of this song.  Click on any of the links below.

"Change My Heart, Oh God"  (feat. Eddie Espinosa on vocals with  Ner de Leon)
 
"Change My heart, Oh God"  (Jakarta Festival Chorus)

"Change My Heart, Oh God"  (arranged for piano by Mark Hayes)

"Change My Heart, Oh God" ( Marantha Music, lyric video) 

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Host: Lisa M Arreguin @ LivingCrazybrave.com
Recorded @ LoveandLaughterMusicGroup.com
Podcast Music: Joey Arreguin

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Hello Friends!   On this weeks episode, I share a personal story about a song I wrote back in 1999 called "Brazilian Rhapsody" - and how it finally got recorded almost 25 years later. The song never made  it on to my debut album  "Timeless".
 
The song never made  it on to my debut album "Timeless" because I didn't think I could sing it properly and I wasn't confident that it was good enough.  But I got another chance to record it after a dear friend and amazing guitarist wanted to re-record it with my vocals.  I was hesitant, to say the least.

As musicians and artists, we don't often have confidence in the things that we write, or sing, or perform and we can be our worst critics.  This story illustrates the need to stand up for what we've created, look at something with a new perspective, and when the time is right, the stars might align.   We might observe an outcome that might be better than we could have imagined. 

You can hear the new version of Brazilian Rhapsody,  on Jim Roja's album "Can You Play Latin?"

BUY LISA'S BOOK "THE CRAZYBRAVE SONGWRITER"

LISTEN TO ALL OF THE CRAZYBRAVE PODCASTS

LIVING CRAZYBRAVE WEBSITE

LOVE AND LAUGHTER MUSIC GROUP

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Host: Lisa M Arreguin @ LivingCrazybrave.com
Recorded @ LoveandLaughterMusicGroup.com
Podcast Music: Joey Arreguin

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Welcome to my 2nd season of The Crazybrave Songwriter Podcast where I’m going to have a chance to stretch out and talk about meaningful concerns for all musical artists.  

I LOVE the creative energy of my guest NICK NERY.  He is fun, dedicated to his music and delivers an eclectic style of music that is always evolving.  Nick’s music is a mixture of old school R&B, slick Rap phrasing and a blend of sexy bumps that entice the audience to pull in and listen.  His voice is smooth, vibrant and present over every track.

I am highlighting Nick’s song “Loving You” (Listen on Spotify).  It's a silky R&B flavored tune that I can vibe too by putting on repeat while I work or dance around the kitchen.  Perfection!

In this episode, I'll be talking with NICK NERY about the beauty of using Vision Boards to imagine where your dreams might take you.  I'll tell my own story about how I was able to get a book deal by using my vision board to help make it happen.  Stay tuned to the end of the show to hear tips on how to use a vision board as a creative person. 

Visit Barnes and Noble to purchase Lisa's book "THE CRAZYBRAVE SONGWRITER"
OR  purchase a SIGNED COPY of Lisa's book from Lisa's website.  

The focus for this season is "wellness for creatives "  If you are a musician, singer, songwriter, painter or creative person, then I’ll be loading up this season with information on how to deal with our runaway brains, how to work with our ever changing moods and offer some coping strategies to deal with it all.  We’ll get a chance to hear from musical artists who speak about these things as they create new music. 

If some of you DON’T already know, I earned my Master’s degree in psychology, was a vocal and songwriting coach for over 20 years and have written a book about songwriting called "The Crazybrave Songwriter".  

So, Let’s move together this season and see what we can learn about ourselves. 

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https://www.livingcrazybrave.com/book
https://loveandlaughtermusicgroup.com

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Host: Lisa M Arreguin @ LivingCrazybrave.com
Recorded @ LoveandLaughterMusicGroup.com
Podcast Music: Joey Arreguin

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Carla Mya (aka Carla Wells) is a songwriter’s songwriter.  She loves everything about the process of writing songs and uses the process as a form of improving general health, striving for career excellence and for personal enjoyment.   

On this episode, Carla is very articulate about her internal writing process and shares the origin of how songs begin, how she develops ideas and the details of her decision making process.  As Carla explains, she strives to be authentic in her writing and to tell a strong story. 

After joining the Songwriting and Production Membership (SoPro) at Love and Laughter Music, the whole team jumped on board to support Carla's vision to create three songs.

Grab some tea, sit back and enjoy the conversation.

LISTEN TO CARLA'S MUSIC AT INVENTINGCARLA.COM
LISTEN TO CARLA'S MUSIC ON SOUNDCLOUD.COM

https://www.livingcrazybrave.com/book
https://loveandlaughtermusicgroup.com

Visit Barnes and Noble to purchase Lisa's book "THE CRAZYBRAVE SONGWRITER" 
OR  purchase a SIGNED COPY of Lisa's book from Lisa's website 
 

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Host: Lisa M Arreguin @ LivingCrazybrave.com
Recorded @ LoveandLaughterMusicGroup.com
Podcast Music: Joey Arreguin

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I have been a big fan of the band DARDEN for a long time.  You’ll find them to be the real deal.  Authentic, honest and in it for the music as it connects to other people.  

Darden is a 5-piece family band, consisting of 3 sisters. Clara on guitar and vocals, Havi on mandolin and vocals, Tabbi on bass and vocals. Two brothers - Josiah on drums and Noah on keys. 

Enjoy the live-in studio session of their song "The Moon" and the delightful and engaging song "Happy and Sad", played in it's entirety.

https://dardentheband.com

Visit Barnes and Noble to purchase Lisa's book "THE CRAZYBRAVE SONGWRITER" 
OR  purchase a SIGNED COPY of Lisa's book from Lisa's website 

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Host: Lisa M Arreguin @ LivingCrazybrave.com
Recorded @ LoveandLaughterMusicGroup.com
Podcast Music: Joey Arreguin

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This week I’m happy to bring you the music of  Jim Rojas (jimrojas.net) and the song "Jimmy's Here".  I guarantee that his new Latin album called “Can you Play Latin?” making its landfall at the top of 2023 (March 10, 2023) will put a smile on your face and a mark on the musical landscape for years to come. 

The full album is highlighted by great songwriting, on every cut, and an overall stellar production of original songs brought together by some of the biggest and brightest Latin musicians in the business.

I wanted to sit down with Jim and his producer Joey, to discuss the making of the albums first single appropriately entitled “Jimmy’s Here”. Delivered with a level of passion and heart, I wanted to know how the song was written, the story behind the arrangement and how they managed to capture Jim’s fun personality in the playful and catchy melody of the song.

Discover Jim's music on Spotify
Discover Jim's music on Apple Music

Host:  Lisa M Arreguin
Podcast Music: Joey Arreguin
Sound Engineer:  Andrew Kim
https://www.livingcrazybrave.com/book
https://loveandlaughtermusicgroup.com

PURCHASE Lisa's book "THE CRAZYBRAVE SONGWRITER" SIGNED COPY from her website. 

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Host: Lisa M Arreguin @ LivingCrazybrave.com
Recorded @ LoveandLaughterMusicGroup.com
Podcast Music: Joey Arreguin