Most of what you hear is me! But I am lucky enough to work with some great musicians & writers. Here's a partial list:
"EASY FOLK TRIO"
Larrein Trudeau (guitar, vox)
John Spooner (vox, percussion)
Vikki Flawith (vox, guitar, baritone ukulele, harmonica, penny whistle)
"THE COLLABORATORS"
Cliff Hitchcock
Morris Rainville
Joe Wrabek
Vic Bonner
Vonee Rose
LYRICISTS
Billie Spencer
Dean Taylor
Glenn Jansen
Lee Kweller
Llyod Kyrk
Michael Kavanagh
Michael Shane
Richard Larabie
COMPOSERS
Arie Boom
Charles P. Hurowitz
Marvin Perkins
Matt Hirt
Geoff Nostrant
Ron Patton
Charles R. Schlacter
Dave Walton
Volker Zdunnek
Influences
Enya, Loreena McKennitt, Gordon Lightfoot, Janis Ian, David Foster, Barbara Streisand, Carol King, Neil Diamond, Barrage, Rankin Family, Jimmy Rankin, Terri Clark, Patsy Cline. Shania Twain, k.d. lang, Nana Mouskori, Puccini, John Williams, Phil Collins, Elton John, Beatles, Alan Parsons, Electric Light Orchestra, Queen, Aerosmith, Abba, Martina McBride, Evanesence, Norah Jones, Karen Carpenter, Rita McNeil, Emmylou Harris, Wendy Carlos, Keith Urban, Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Maria Callas, Syliva & Ian Tyson, Leonard Cohen, Peter Gabriel, Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, Billie Holiday, Doris Day, Sting, Sheryl Crowe, Anita Krause, Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell... so many, so many.
I'm inspired by..... Julia Cameron (The Artist's Way, Walking in this World, Transitions), Dr Wayne Dyer (You'll See it When You Believe It, The Sky's the Limit, Your Errogenous Zones), Shakti Gawain (Creative Visualization)
Some of my favourite authors are.... J.R.R. Tolkein (The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, The Silmarillion, The Book of Lost Tales), Marion Zimmer Bradley (The Mists of Avalon), Mary Stewart (The Crystal Cave, The Hollow Hills, The Last Enchantment), Jack Whyte (A Dream of Eagles/The Camulod Chronicles), Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Shakespeare, Oprah... the list is endless!
I like.... Stargate, Stargate Atlantis, most of the Star Treks, pretty much anything sci fi.... British comedies.... old musicals (Singing in the Rain, My Fair Lady, Brigadoon)
Memberships: Cornerstone Collective Record, Centre for Contemporary Composers, Angelic Records, Artist's Edge, Victoria Songwriting Circle, Muse's Muse, Just Plain Folks, Songwriter101, Irene Jackon's Songwriting Forum, Taxi.com, The Songwriter's Association of Canada, S.O.C.A.N., A.S.C.A.P.
Sounds Like
Enya; Loreena McKennitt; Tori Amos; Kate Bush; Sarah Brightman; Annie Lennox
Who am I?
I'm a musician, a singer, a teacher, a creative soul.
I am also the shysinger. For many years of my life I was a wallflower, I had acute social phobia and suffered from extreme stage fright. Although I loved music and wanted to be a singer, I did not pursue that path. On a very deep level, I felt I was not valuable, that anything I did was flawed, that I was not worthy of love... and that, no matter how hard I tried, I would never be good at anything or good for anyone.
In 1990, after my short-lived marriage broke up, I looked deep in my soul. I realized that I had been living my life according to everyone else's rules. I was so desperate to be accepted I listened to what everyone else said and tried to do what I thought they wanted. After a lot of soul-searching, I was able to see that I deeply desired two things in my life.
One was to be creative - well, more than that. I wanted to live the most creative life possible. I was tired of doing uninspiring things at work and at home. I wanted to delve into my creativity.
The other was to sing. I'd wanted to be a singer since I was 5 or 6 years old. I'd sung in church and school choirs, and in the chorus of some musicals. I'd even had a MOR band at one point. Even though my knees shook so badly when I sang in front of people that I had to sit on a stool.... and I knew I didn't sing in front of an audience the way I sang at home. So, still terrified... I began to take voice lessons in 1990.
Over time, over many years of vocal training, I began to see how the programming of the past was inhibiting my voice. I began to see how my thoughts and my self-esteem were woven into my relationship with my voice. As I began to change my thinking and habits in order to free my voice... the awareness and positiveness that I needed in singing began to permeate the rest of my life. The creative process, the slow growth over time of new habits and new ways of thinking, not only helped me become the singer I dreamed of being… it also helped me become the person I was meant to be.
Now, as a voice teacher, I’m honoured to mentor others on a similar path. In addition, I perform regularly as a singer and as a member of my trio, “Easy”. I began songwriting in 2003 and decided in 2006 to work on developing skills as a composer/producer of music for film & television. I’m amazed to say that I now have several tracks signed to music libraries and music publishers for placement in film/tv.
Lastly, my love of books is inspiring my music… I have written a number of songs inspired by my favourite story, “The Lord of the Rings”. I am currently working on producing an album of some of those songs.
Now, when I wake up in the morning, I get out of bed knowing that I will be working on music in some way. I can’t tell you how grateful I am to be able to live my passion and be ‘in the music’ every day.
No in elenath hîlar nan hâd gîn (may the stars shine upon your path).
~ Vikki - a.k.a. 'Hummingbird' - a.k.a. 'Alfirin'
June 22/06: Vikki was privileged to sing the Canadian national anthems at the Investiture of the Order of British Columbia (the province's highest honour for outstanding achievement) at Government House located in BC's capital city, Victoria. Lieutenant Governor Iona Camagnolo and BC Premier Gordon Campbell were present.
June 28/06: Saturn's Air and Illuminating Me received Genre Spotlight awards from Mixposure.com!
July 1/06: My lyric entry was one of the 50 out of 500 that made it to the second round of the Just Plain Folks Lyric Contest
July-Sep '06: 50 Songs in 90 Days Challenge ...my first time... I wrote about 12 songs, lol
Nov '06: National Novel Writing Month Challenge ...my second time... I wrote around 23,000 words. I'm still working on the novel - I'm up around 33,000 now. Slow going :)
Dec '06: FACTOR ...hey, I was excited and pleased to have my creative talent recognized. I recieved a small grant from the "Foundation to Assist Canadian Talent on Records".
Feb '07: ...February Album Writing Month Challenge Write 14 songs in 28 days.. I made it to 15!
Feb '07: ...SLS Fiction & Poetry Contest I entered a 25-page excerpt of my novel into the 2007 Summer Literary Seminars Fiction and Poetry Contests (in Affiliation with The Walrus magazine). Apr '07: Although I didn't win, I was chosen as one of the 30 contest finalists in the fiction category. Kinda cool...
June '07: Got my first instrumental placement with a music publisher.
Feb '08: ...February Album Writing Month Challenge Write 14.5 songs in 29 days... I completed 24.
Feb '08: ...RPM Challenge Record an album (10 songs or 35 minutes worth of music) in 29 days, just because you can... I completed 11.
Mar '08: ...a song I co-wrote with a friend got picked up by a music library. Contracts signed!
Apr '08: ...Script Frenzy Write 100 pages of script or screenplay in the month of April. Managed to write 37 my first time out.
Jul '08: ...got a music library interested in my cataloque. Contracts signed!
July-Sep '08: 50 Songs in 90 Days Challenge -finished with 53!!
7 Nov '08: Taxi Road Rally -will be part of a panel (with Derek Sivers) speaking on the topic of "Overcoming the Roadblocks to Your Success"
7 Nov '08: Community Leadership Award -I was surprised & pleased to be presented with this award at the TAXI Road Rally, for my continued participation in the Taxi Music Forum (a great resource).
Jan '09: Nice birthday present -Signed 5 more instrumental tracks.
Feb '09: February is Album Writing Month -Personal challenge to write 14 songs in 28 days. Wrote 25 tracks, signed a couple of them immediately. www.fawm.org !
Mar '09: Another deal -Signed 10 instrumental tracks.
Apr '09: Another deal -Signed a co-written instrumental track.
Summer '09: '50 songs in 90 days' -I'm a lover of writing challenges, so I'll be participating in 50/90 again this year
My work has been featured on CKRG 89.9 FM Radio Glendon; CKCU 93.1 FM Ottawa; 92.5 FM The X, Kamloops; CBC Radio 3; Free World Radio; Cygnus Radio's 'Goddess Radio' hour; Angelic Music podcasts; and she has been spotlighted on Len Amsterdam TV & Radio, Toronto. Her songs have been released on three CDs: "Waiting for the Bus"; "Friends Around the World - World Peace Compliation"; and "Savary Spirit".
"Waiting for the Bus" ...creative folk-pop, ethereal vocals, great harmonies... now available at CD BABY
Samples of her work are posted here on MySpace and at:
What industry folks say:
"Vikki, you're good. Keep writing."
~ John Braheny, author, The Craft & the Business of Songwriting
"Really interesting vocal textures in 'Alien'."
~ Project Overseer Productions, United Kingdom
"You are in tune with a vibe that very few achieve. 'Alien' is truly original."
~ T. Wisted Fock & the Rockin BillHillies, Australia
"'Wilted Heart' is a very beautiful song."
~ Len Amsterdam, Canadian Broadcaster
"Your voice is brilliant and professionally trained."
~ Volker Zdunnek (Philos60), German composer & collaborator
"Vikki did an outstanding job on the vocal of this song."
~ Marvin Perkins, U.S. musician & collaborator
I've enjoyed visiting and listening to your music, today and I have subscribed to your blog. Both are awesome. You have a very pretty voice. :) Drop by and listen to mine, sometime!
How are you? I'm in songwriting mode and I thought of you. I'm fighting with melodies and unfortunately, they are winning. How did your February marathon go?
I just commented on the "Keep my Mom Alive" song you have on JPF. So good to hear from you, and your vocals on that one told the story just right. Luvs, Snake
Hey Vikki - just a note to say Happy New Year. I always appreciate your words of wisdom around SW101 - you're a positive influence and a strong source of guidance there. I hope that 2009's a great year for you.
That's quite an inspirational block of copy in your "about me" section. Always good to hear (or read) of someone who has broken the chains of their past to pursue their passion. Kudos Vikki.
Thank you for taking a listen to my music. Glad you liked what you heard!
I hope you'll stop by www.davidshelbymusic.com to hear a sampling of all the tracks from my debut CD, I Came to Play. I look forward to hearing what you think.
