Picture perfect

Well maybe not quite picture perfect haha...but still exciting! Got the pictures from my photoshoot with Kinsey Gross today...LOVE THEM!

Here are a few of my favorites:

The rest or some of the rest (we took over 700!) are on Flickr!

Whooooo, doing it!

OH and EP album cover? yes please! Thanks Kins (she's brilliant). Look for this on Itunes in a couple of weeks!

Sweet sweet life...

Ahhhhhh.... life is so good.

I'm sitting here in my room at home (HOME home), with my puppy at my feet and my whole family in the house (mostly asleep), and I'll be here for an entire week...cause I'm on SPRING BREAK! Yes I know, it's all as exciting as it seems! But really though, there's no where else I'd rather be. I loooove being home.

Did I mention that it was absolutely sun shining windows down beautiful today? Yeah doesn't get much better than this...I love Seattle.

It's such a relief to have finals over and absolutely nothing to do. I am the happiest happiest girl at this time of the quarter. I wish I could just drop out of school and do this all the time...sleep in 'til whenever, go on a jog in the sunshine (okay so that's not exactly available to me year round...but still), be able to go to Blake's tennis matches (she's such a rockstar), lay around and watch as much TV as possible, read a BOOK, for FUN, (I know it's a foreign concept but it's actually such a great thing when you get to choose what you read. Currently reading: How to Know God), write music right when I think of it instead of having to wait until days later when I have time...this seriously is the best. OH and seeing my soul sisters/high school friends. When we get back together at breaks it's like we never skipped a beat, just go right back to where we were. Now that's pretty incredible if you think about all the new people we've met, the new experiences we've all had and how much we all grow in between seeing each other. That really says something about our friendships. They WILL last forever, I know that for a fact. My sweet friends...

Anyways, MOST importantly since I've been on break I've done some serious work on my music! Did I tell you that I started seeing a new voice teacher? Barbie Anaka is her name, inspiring me is her game! No but really, she's a vocal coach, a music teacher, a producer, and a musician herself. We had our first 'lesson' last week and it was such a perfect fit the instant I walked in there. She's younger, beautiful, cozy little home, and we dove right into business. She told me she doesn't take on many students because she likes to put her all into every one. That sounded A. good because that's great she cares so much about each of her students and B. intimidating... was I going to make the cut of the 'few'?

We got to talking and she said she helps artists with every aspect of their musicianship. Meaning vocals, music theory, guitar playing, recording sessions, getting gigs, finding bands, and making dreams a reality basically. I was completely inspired because she is exactly who I needed! She is that extra little push I needed to get myself rolling on this dream of mine.

She was asking me about myself/my music, what all I'd done and what I wanted to do, and she seemed surprised of all I already had going (which surprised ME...who knew I was doing some things right?!) but she decided to take me on as a student! Meaning she has faith in me! I'm humbled and overjoyed.

So yay for that! Yay for perfect fits. For music. For following dreams. And for having someone believe in you.

Oh and I should mention today I finished a song in the studio! YES and I am so happy with how it turned out. Dave, my recorder/producer, was saying today that this is our best one yet!

Check it out if you want, it's called "Free From You." Hope you like it :)

Anyway, if you can't tell with my writing...I'm dwindling here. Slowwwwly but surely becoming extremely tired. After an evening out with family and friends for my brother Bryce's 21st birthday, and Sahara movie on TBS, I'm donezo. Goodnight world. Goodnight sky. To a fabulous week at home!

Love you all.

Enjoy life!

Carly

In a Whirlwind!

Whoaaaa, what a day. Not only did I play a show for an amazing cause down in University Place, but I also learned EVERYTHING there is to know about marketing, PR, etc.

Let me give you the lowdown...

So the show tonight was sort of spur of the moment... Mark Schatzer asked me to play Wednesday of last week and of course I jumped at the opportunity! Anyways, I was nervous (as usual) but luckily I had my buddies Laurent Linville and Morrie Low drive down with me. Laurent is one of my good friends here at UW and since he is a whiz at marketing (and is actually studying it) he said he'd help me with some things. He came down with his video camera and Morrie, his friend who's majoring in photography (how awesome is this turning out.. I KNOW!!!). It was so sweet that both of these guys took the time out of their schedule to come help me out, I still can't quite get over it. But anyways, the show was awesome. There were really great musicians and I learned a ton (as I always do seeing other artists perform!).

Then came my turn to go up... ahh! I played some of my favorite songs! Free Fallin', You've Got a Friend, and my latest song Keep on Searching to name a few! Anyways that was rad, I always love that feeling of being up there singing my heart out. Nothing quite like it. It's really cool to look out at the crowd and realize they are listening to you and your music and your thoughts and ideas. I have this dream that maybe my music might impact someone a little teensy bit.

Anyways it was a great opportunity and I'm so thankful for every new show I get. I feel like I grow as a musician each time. There's always something new to learn. Like tonight I learned: make sure your capo is on the right fret before you start to play and sing! Oh and thanks to Morrie's suggestions, smile every once and a while (instead of my eyes closed, into the music sort of look. apparently pictures get a little repetitive and don't look that great that way...) All good things to know!

Haha no I have fun with it. I make mistakes, and I'm sure I always will but I have fun with it. Make it part of the act. I think people appreciate a little realness. Or maybe that's just me trying to justify messing up. Either way, it happens. It never goes EXACTLY the way I want it to but ya know I'm just starting to accept that. I'm starting to be okay with however it turns out. I need to give myself a little more credit. After a show all I do is think about all the times I messed up, the times I went a little off key, instead about giving myself some props for having the courage to get up there! Honestly, every time I'm about to go up I wonder how I am doing this. It is so out of character for my quiet self. So ya know what Carly, good job tonight! From you to you! No matter what happened, you got up there and I'm proud of you!

Okay enough talking to myself... I think sometimes we just need to pat ourselves on the back is all, as silly as that sounds lol.

NOW to the marketing!

So Laurent and I when we got back decided to go to Chipotle (always a good decision) and talk about my music and everything. It was just an hour or so conversation/meal but I learned SO much. Like Twitter and YouTube and Facebook and all these things (we're talking for musicians or any professionals) should all match and have the same background or logo/branding so people can and will recognize you and your name.

I'm looking at my purple Myspace page, my cloud filled YouTube, and my plain ol Jane Twitter page in disgust... apparently I've been doing it all wrong.

But it's GOOD! It's good to know these things! So the next step is coreograph it all to work together.

What else did I learn? Ah yes, TWITTER. Twitter twitter twitter. That's what I need to do. I need to really fill people in on what's going on in my life, and why wouldn't I want to? So I need to tweet more plain and simple.

And YouTube? I need a music video! How fun does that sound?! Yeah, so hopefully we'll get started on that soon!

Facebook...be my fan! Just as all the other things I need to update update update.

And as far as shows go? I need to YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Myspace (EVERYTHING) the event and I need to take pictures and videos and really get everyone in the loop!

Who knew there was so much to this all? Honestly, I'm a little overwhelmed and I'm SURE I didn't put everything down that I learned about today. I guess in my little naive mind I just thought it was possible with my little Myspace and YouTube page for people to become fans and for me to get going that way...turns out this day and age you've really got to push yourself out there because there IS so much out there.

So if you're reading this, thank you. Thank you for choosing to read ME over your twitter page, or that other blogger you like to read. At least for the time being.

I hope that I can really get all this stuff going so I can be headed in the right direction with my music.. I was just talking to a friend about what I want to do with my life and what I want to study and be and all that and what became really clear for me is that this is exactly what I want to do. Music. Exactly. This this this. And you know what? I think if you can dream it you can do it. You on for helping me?

www.twitter.com/carlyhenley

www.youtube.com/carcarisastar

www.carlyhenley.com

www.myspace.com/carlyhenley

www.facebook.com/pages/carly-henley

Am I missing anything? haha

Good night world!

Carly