Joy to the World!

I can’t believe this year has almost come to an end. What an amazing year it has been - I hope you can say the same for yourself as well. It’s definitely not been easy, but I have come to value that hard times help you grow and force you to decide what type of person you want to be. And the easier times are often just those moments of beauty and joy that I hope to never take for granted.

Here’s me being all deep and meaningful! But I really do want to wish everyone a happy Christmas and I hope you can take time to stop and consider what is really valuable to you in life over these holidays and see if your life lines up with those values. Maybe a change for next year may be in order.

ALSO - I’ve got a new Youtube video up! It is a snapshot of my time at Festival of the Sun, which was amaaazing! So go have a look at www.youtube.com/lissashows.

Lissa - Festival of the Sun 2010

Thanks lovely people and I’ll talk to you sooon!

Merry Christmas and God bless,

Lissa

Here comes the sun...

Festival of the Sun is happening in a month's time and I'm soooo excited! What an amazing opportunity! Let's hope the weather is fine!

Into the finals!

Played at the semi-finals for a SongsAlive music comp at 

Narrabeen Sands Hotel last night. 

I had quite a lot of fun and overheard the comment 'cute!!' 

numerous times throughout my set. 

Ah dear, 

I'm going to have to embrace that one won't I!

Now I'm in the finals 

which will take place on November 11th at the same venue. 

Would love to see some familiar faces there. Yay!

Love Lissa

The simple joys I experienced in one day.

This morning

Tea with my best friend,

Still in my dressing gown.

Honesty, laughs and love

Shared all in just over an hour.

This evening

Walk into a room of strangers

Play and offer my music.

Such a warm reception,

New friendships made,

Lives changed.

Rush back to say goodbye.

A dear friend is

Going away for a year.

She's decided to give

All her time,

Her energy and resources

To another country in far greater need than ours.

Selflessness.

An inspiration.

A late night dinner

With friends

Sitting on the kitchen floor

By candlelight.

So much food and fun.

Treasured times forever.

Simple joys

Found in the everyday.

In Relationships. Love.

And music.

And meaning behind it all.

A firm foundation never shaken.

Simple joys

Are often the most profound.

Just the Way You Are

Such a cute song by Bruno Mars, I just had to do a cover of it! Totally the type of song that most would love to have sung to them!

Anyway, hope it brightens up your day.

Love Lissa

A last minute gig with a nice twist!

Last Tuesday I received an email about a singer/songwriters competition taking place on the Thursday night, asking if I was interested in entering the comp! So I jumped at the opportunity, rocked up to Narrabeen Sands Hotel and performed a set as part of the Songs Alive singer/songwriter competition.

My goals for the evening were accomplished; meeting new people, playing to a new crowd, trying out a few new songs and covers and just enjoying the night. The BONUS was that I won! Haha!

So now on to the semi-finals in a few more weeks!

I was quite amused :)

Hope you are well and happy and are enjoying all the delightful surprises that pop up in your life too!

Love Lissa

September's significance...

Reasons for September's significance:

1. It's Spring! Time for new beginnings.

2. The sun is starting to warm everything up :)

3. There are new songs to be written!

4. My first loungeroom gig is happening this weekend in Gosford. Excitement!

5. It's only two months until we start recording small steps - Part Two!

6. It's less than three months until we head up to Port Macquarie for Festival of the Sun! (www.fotsun.com)

7. And a new video will be coming soooon on YouTube (www.youtube.com/lissashows). Watch out.

Enough reasons?

:)

Love Lissa

I Heart Kirribilli

I am playing at an art exhibition in Kirribilli tomorrow night.

Exciiiiited!

All the best to those prize winners who are soon to be announced!

http://iheartkirribilli.com/ 

Feel free to pop on down and be amazed by the talent in the community of Kirribilli!   

Oh why don't you try living inside this head, this head of mine...

I wrote this big, babbling and blabbing post about identity and the creative process and my frustrations with it all today. But then the lyrics of a song I wrote came to mind and I realised that this is why I write the music that I do - to express stuff that I find difficult to say otherwise!

Lies

There are thoughts deep inside
That my mind says to no one else

If exposed they'd cause an incomprehensible mess

There are things in my mind

Of which I try to remind myself

But the doubt prevents you from thinking at all

Oh why don't you try living inside this head, this head of mine?

Oh why don't you try living inside this head, this head of mine?

There are words like "I can't" and "I'm not" that keep pulling me down

But I guess I choose to engage in battle

"...cooking is just as creative and imaginative an activity as drawing, or wood carving, or music." - Julia Childs

I obviously love creating music and am much more confident at it than I am at cooking, but lately I've really enjoyed spontaneously trying new recipes and making up my own too! It's a bit like making music - you try putting new ingredients together and eagerly await the final result. Often it can be a pleasant surprise what you come up with!

Anyway here's something I made the other day. Night actually. In fact, I decided at 10:30pm that I wanted to make cheesecake. Don't ask me why - I just did. At about midnight the cheesecake was ready and it turned out to be a light and fun dessert! And here's the amusing bit...I found the recipe on the back of a pack of cereal. But I did modify the recipe quite a bit along the way, so here goes (and apologies in advance for the unamazing photo! Hehe...)

Mini Ricotta Cheesecakes with Strawberries

To make the base:

1 crushed up packet of Nice biscuits (any biscuits will do but I like Nice biscuits because they're coated in sugar, making the base nice and sweet!)

Melted butter (sorry I'm really bad with amounts...just enough to moisten the crushed biscuit and help it stick together slightly. Just stir in the butter bit by bit until it's enough.)

Cheesecake filling:

300g of fresh ricotta cheese

250g (a pack) of cream cheese

The point of what I do...

I read this quote today...

After six or seven performances of any song, you begin to perform it rather than feel it.
Graham Nash 

I had to stop for a moment 

and catch my breath.

I do NOT want to stop feeling my songs 

when I sing them.

I don't want to lose grip 

on the reason I wrote them 

in the first place.

I must remember who I wrote these songs for

 so that I am moved 

to sing from that place

every time.

Perhaps this is wishful thinking 

but so far I think I've managed

to not lose sight

of the reason for my music.

May I perform well - yes.

But may I feel more and more deeply

every time I sing to an audience...

otherwise I believe

I will be doing them

a great disservice.

I could no longer resist the blog!!

Well here I am - didn't quite expect this, but yes I am now part of the blogging community. Basically a great way for me to update friends and fans about where my music is taking me (and everyone else who dares to get involved!) and also to let a little creative steam off at times.

So I don't really have too much to say right now at 1:30 in the morning, but I DO want to tell you about a gig that is happening THIS FRIDAY.

A cute little cafe named Pablo and Rusty's.

Singing by Lissa

and DJ Dick-Smith.

Artworks by Judith Smith.

Coffee by the amazing coffee people.

Enjoyment by all.

And if you haven't already, have a sneak peak at my new video at www.youtube.com/lissashows to find out about more upcoming dates!

Talk to you soon

:)

xoxo