Wendy Waller, Naked Thoughts

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Letter to a young singer/musician, Part 5:

Network. Part of sitting in is networking. Be intelligent, knowledgeable, organized, and always professional. Talk to people even if you're shy; that is part of your charm. It's probably one of the best ways to create avenues and build relationships in any type of business. Even if you are huge in your own little Idaho, you can only be a big fish in a small pond for so long. People move and change direction and may not want to hang out in your domain forever. Networking is mining for possibilities. It is exploration, plain and simple. You never know what you will find when you begin to lift the veil of your world. If you seek, you will only find other worlds! Go on, try it! Explore!

Peace,

Wendy

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Letter to a young singer/musician, Part 4:

Sit in somewhere every week. Be consistent -- show your face and talent. Always be gracious if someone compliments you, or even if they don't. Have your business card ready to hand out. And be supportive of your peers; they need love too.

Peace,

Wendy

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Letter to a young singer/musician, Part 3:

Listen, listen, listen... Open your ears to all kinds of music. You must become a musician. Learn an instrument other than voice. You don't have to be a virtuoso, but you must understand how to communicate with other musicians and know what is going on -- this way you will be taken seriously.

Peace,

Wendy

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Letter to a young singer/musician, Part 2:

I told you that you must work hard to make it to the top, or even to be successful in this career. Now I'm going to give you a list of things to do.

Research. You must learn everything that you can about the music business. You are going into business for yourself, and you must consider yourself an entrepreneur. Be smart so you know what you are getting yourself into.

Check out Jeri Goldstein's site for a comprehensive overview of the music business, I recommend that you also take a look at her book, How to Be Your Own Booking Agent. Even if you are not the band leader you should know and understand this information.

Peace,

Wendy

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Letter to a young singer/musician, Part 1:

Recently I wrote a letter to one of my students with some advice regarding her music career. I decided to modify the letter so that I could share some wisdom (acquired through the school of hard knocks) with my blog readers.

Dear Singers/Musicians,

I have a few words of advice for you. Be intelligent and rational about your career. Do not dream about it -- do it! That means that you must learn everything you can. Believe me, this is not a career for the emotionally distracted, it is also far less glamorous than most people imagine. The stars that you see at the top are a miniscule percentage of the music professionals in the world. Everyone has a chance to make it to that top percentile, but it will not happen if you do not focus and work, work, work. Remember this: "The harder you work, the luckier you are." The human animal is highly selective, and entirely subjective. An artist need only attract a small slice of the world population for it to be a significant number of fans. Not everyone can be a star and you don't need to be. You can be a professional musician and have a viable career. So get to work! Being a musician is a wonderful and fulfilling profession!

Stay tuned! More to come!

Peace,

Wendy

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Big News!

Big news! Wendy Waller the singer/songwriter has been dethroned by Wendy Waller the soprano on Bing image search! Wendy Waller the singer/songwriter just recently had knocked Wendy Waller the Mayor of Liverpool out of the number one spot on Bing image search, only to now suffer this humiliation. We are asking you to help us rectify this grave injustice. Boycott all opera. Do not attend any opera performances. Do not purchase any opera recordings, and, most importantly, do not click on any images of opera singers named Wendy Waller!

Bring it on, all you alleged Wendys, we're ready to throw down!

Peace,

Team Wendy (Waller) :)

wendywaller.com

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Wendy Waller: More Naked Thoughts

Well, well, well....How are you today? I am wondering if anyone is actually out there.
You know...writing a blog is kind of like sending out resumes online. You never quite know
where they're going -- perhaps to some corner of the universe where dust bunnies and
lost socks dwell. Hmmmm... It's pretty mysterious really.

A huge thank you to the people who replied to our last newsletter!

This past week my band and I played a noontime concert at Jack London Square in Oakland
and a show at Senzala Restaurant in Sunnyvale. We had a wonderful time and got lots of
good video footage of the music. You must have a look and listen!

This week the band is preparing to play the Point Richmond Music Festival on Friday, August 13, at 5:30pm. We are on right before "Lloyd's Garage."

And now for the Gulf Spill Report:
The oil gusher in the Gulf has been stopped. That said, there has been no other oil spill
larger than this one... ever. It is estimated that 5 million barrels of oil have spilled.
Here is some information that I have copied from an NPR report: "1,499 birds with oil on
them have been found dead, but more than that, 1,699 visibly oiled birds have been collected
alive, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, of those, at least 594 had been rehabilitated and released. 2,168 baby sea turtles have been relocated from their nests on beaches in the path of the oil
spill and released into the Atlantic Ocean."
You can read the full report here

This is just horrifying. I ask you... What is more important than the planet and the creatures
who share it?! Ponder that simple question please.

Talk to you soon.

Peace,
Wendy

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Photos from the Jack London Square gig.

Wendy-waller-and-the-band-at-jack-london-square-6

Photos from the Jack London Square gig here.

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Wendy Waller: Naked Thoughts

As my day comes to a close and the dozies set in, it dawns on me that a year has come and gone since I released my last CD. My, my, my, how things have changed. What a year! I have learned so much and feel the wheels of cognition bustling into a frenzy! Yup, I'm sleepy, but I'm still thinkin'!

R.J. and I have a little studio by our home. We go there to work; he, to study everything internet in order to launch my music into cyberspace; I, to practice, teach, conjure up songs and think of more ways to market my music online. Both, coaxing our imaginations to create ways to merge with the cyber-sphere. 'Tis truly fertile ground in our little blue heaven.

Trying to figure out how to get people to listen or to pay attention is an extremely creative process. When I am performing there is an intuitive connection with the audience that guides me. It tells me where I am and who is with me. When trying to compel computer users to listen to my music it is a constant guessing game; intuition is nonexistent and I only know where I think I am. Forget about knowing where anyone else is.

The old adage that finding success in show biz is often being in the right place at the right time has become multi-dimensional with the internet. Its atmosphere is ever changing. One must be extremely creative and try, try again; for one bag of tricks will never do.

Here's the truth: The harder you work, the luckier you are. The new music paradigm is about finding a way through by navigating the maze again and again. Yes, we are reinventing the wheel! I wonder if luck has anything to do with it... or maybe it does...

Peace,

Wendy

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