Desert Songstress

COMMENTS/TOP FRIENDS – Except for a few friends and family members that I never move, I routinely switch around my top friends. --If you post a comment promoting a project, I will keep it on site for a day or two then delete it. – I would prefer that appeals to buy your CD/other services be posted to a bulletin, as I don’t want my page to become a big classified ad. Thanks!WHO AM I? I am one of the many free-lance singers and songwriters who are unknown to the general public. After a long hiatus, I have returned to writing songs (as well as articles and a book) and look forward to some great collaborations in the future.WHY AM I ON MYSPACE? My primary reason is to promote my writing talent/find new co-writers. I also want to communicate with others involved with music/writing/entertainment. -- I seek to expland my musical horizons and am now exposing myself to new thoughts, ideas and music. This has involved stepping outside my musical "comfort zone."WHY DOES A COMPOSER NEED A LYRICIST? - I have been writing long enough to observe that though many composers are able to write music and lyrics, only rare composers are able to write lyrics that are as strong as their music. Two great songwriters, Carole King and Elton John have always written with lyricists. -- I am available to work with the wise composer who wants his/her song to be as lyrically strong as possible. Email me for further information.I COME FROM JAZZ - My parents, their friends/associates/coworkers and the parents of most of my school friends, were jazz lovers and I grew up in a jazz household. My late sister Yonnine was the daughter of jazz bassist Charles Mingus. I am the Marva mentioned in the Mingus biography, "Myself When I am Real" (in which my sister's name is misspelled as "Yanine"). I grew up listening to traditional jazz. Coming from the old school, some of my favorite jazz vocalists are Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald, Esther Phillips, Lorez Alexandria, Nancy Wilson and Gloria Lynn. --MY SINGING -Over the years I have been a member of many singing groups, secular and gospel oriented. I started out as a solo performer, studied music theory and voice (and continued to do so over the years), joined R&B group “Black Magic,” sang with jazz group, “The Don Cunningham Quartet (Kent Brinkley: bass; Doug Sides: drums),” funk group “Burn” (not the present group which is called BURN), and various gospel groups. – While living in L.A. “back in the day” I did some solo club dates, some voice over work and the occasional “session” (primarily for indie producers who were recording songs to be distributed in another country.) Prior to moving to the Bay area and retiring from popular music, I spent some time as a member of vocal coach Phil Moore’s “Get Your Act Together” singing workshop. Jazz vocalist Dianne Reeves was also a member...it was always great to hear her sing and play the piano. -- My early years in music were a lot of fun. I could fill this page "name dropping" because I have met, worked or hung out with some very talented and well known individuals. -- However, once I had children, my main focus became raising them and I chose to walk away from the music biz.-- Now that my children are adults, I am happily pursuing some long deferred dreams. -MY SONGWRITING - I started writing lyrics to songs, while with “Black Magic.” Lyricist and fellow group member Anita Porée (“Keep On Trucking” “Boogie Down” “Going In Circles”) was kind enough to teach me the craft of “laying out a song.” I also spent a lot of time writing with Sherlie Matthews and “borrowed” a lot of her lyric writing techniques. So, I can assertively say that I really and truly have “learned from the best.” In nearly three years with Jobete, I wrote lyrics to songs which were recorded by The Jackson Five, Martha & The Vandellas, The Blackberries’ unreleased album and Stacie Johnson’s unreleased album. -- Stacie's "Woman In My Eyes" was released in the 70s, but not promoted. – A few years after I left Jobete, I formed a music publishing company with pianist Tony J. Williams and we wrote many R&B/gospel/message songs with some minor success. We entered into a sub-publishing deal with a new group out of Australia, which seemed lucrative. However, things were moving slowly and my co-writer insisted we terminate the deal, as we were being asked to work on another big project that seemed lucrative (unfortunately, it wasn't). -- Not six months later the group was no longer unknown..."Air Supply" just blew up with a succession of hits. -- One thing I have learned over the years is that we humans often "give up" just before we reach our goal. -- That was a life lesson for both of us. He learned patience and I learned not to give in to someone's else's desires. -- I have written songs for proposed TV shows (themes) and a gospel musical that never saw the light of day, due to lack of funding. -- I also once owned a small gospel label.THE SONGS -- Like most songs of the time, the songs on this page were written around a song idea called a "hook." Sometimes I came up with the hook, which became the song's chorus, and other times my co-writer, Sherlie Matthews, would develop the song. - Two of the song's on this page were built around one line! Sherlie thought of one of the lines and we wrote a song around it and I thought of the other. -- A successful lyricist is one who can put his/her ego aside and work towards the best song possible without any type of "power" trip.-- I have written many songs where all, or nearly all, of my lyrics were used and I was never asked to make any changes. However, there have been other occasions when those I was working with wanted changes made. -- Aspiring lyricists will not get very far if they moan and whine when lyrics are scratched out, changed or not used. --Lyricists really have to develop "thick skin" and be flexible. -There have been times when I felt strongly that an idea should not be changed and I spoke up at those times. However, if the requested change was something minor, I just let it slide. -- Looking back now I realize that every time I was asked to completely rewrite a song, I became a better songwriter. By the time I left Jobete, I could provide a producer with several versions of the same song idea, all with different points of view. -- The ability to do that came from dealing with rejection. I also learned to write "tight," clean and fast.OLDIES BUT GOODIES -The songs on this page are old, but listening to them takes me back to a time when I was free to just sit and write songs all day. Oh, what a fun time that was! – Though they may be old, most of them have held up well ...and I am extremely proud of them.WHAT I AM DOING NOW – When not "free lancing" on some project, I am writing. I also sing/perform every now and then.I lived in Montana in the mid-90s and spent some time singing with cello man, Lee Zimmerman, and a country rock outfit we named "Northern Lights". We sang around the area and Lee's late partner, Jo Rainbolt (author/singer/artist), would duet with me a lot. She even taught me to yodel! Though my first love is jazz (followed closely by gospel and vintage R&B), I have sang rock, folk, pop and country/country rock. My friendship with Lee has led me to consider returning to the cello (which I played as a teen, which my mother played as a child and which one of my daughters also plays.) Don't know yet if I will actually do so, as I have started back to playing my guitar (badly so far) and hope to add banjo down the line.I am a lover of history, especially musical history, and I have discovered that I love a lot of bluegrass/Americana and roots music. I am even starting to write in those genres. I am listening to a lot of world music and truly enjoying the experience. -- Expect a lot of changes from me in the coming years!I am working on new material; udating my lyric portfolio. I am now writing songs with two talented female musicians, who happen to be sisters... my musical "French Connection" (they live in the French speaking part of Switzerland.) --.I mentor a few aspiring lyricists/singers. I started out writing a lyric "blog" but have not had time to update it. Many of the lyricists I mentor are also looking for booking agents and managers so I are often seek of myspace friends, working in those areas, so that they can utilize my page as a resource.I continue to interview old school artists, both known and unknown, in an effort to help document R&B/do-wop/gospel/jazz history. Since I grew up in Southern California, it's easiest to start with artists from that area. -- Northern Soul fans will probably be more familiar with these artists than the general public. However, anyone who likes to know more about artists who came of age "back in the day" will enjoy reading these interviews.PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS/EDUCATION - I have been in and out of various music/songwriting organizations over the years. However, I continue to maintain my memberships with the American Society of Composers Authors & Publishers (ASCAP) and have been a voting member of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS aka The Recording Academy/www.grammy.com) for 30 years. --I am a former member of the National Association of Women Writers.I spent many years working in the legal arena and hold an ABA paralegal certificate, as well as a certificate in copy editing. -- I also have an A.A. in Human Services (Special Education) and a B.A. in Literature & Writing.Note: "It's Written All Over My Face" was written by Sherlie Matthews.Certain photos in my slide show were shot by professional photographers including: 1) The late Don Cropper; 2) the late Erni Marshall; 3)Jim Tyler (proud pop of actress, Aisha); and 3) Paul Verrette. Note: Jim also took the photo labeled "before the 'fro." - The hands piercing my nose in the photo labeled "The Grand Opening" belong to jazz singer Robin Gregory (formerly Tyler), mother of Aisha. Robin was the first homecoming queen at Howard to sport a "natural" hair style. -- She has a beautiful voice. Check out her CD! -- One of my brother's is a member of San Francisco's "Little White Radio" and also has a myspace profile under his alter ego, "The Crack Emcee."Thanks so much for dropping by! If you are a composer, feel free to shoot me an email or a friend request. --http://www.marvaholiday.com http://www.spectropop.com/HOTB/HOTBpart6.htm http://www.answers.com/topic/holiday-stargate-sg-1?cat=enter tainment http://humble-pie.net/the_blackberries/html/the_blackberries 2.html http://www.sherliematthews.com..