About a week and a half ago I clicked on the submit button to FACTOR which is The Foundation to Assist Canadian Talent on Records.FACTOR is dedicated to providing assistance toward the growth and development of the Canadian independent recording industry.For the past few months I have been completing an online form that is so detailed and asks for so much information that to get it finished in time was a task that I could not do alone.I asked for help from my friend and collaborator Bill Perison.I literally had to have my hand held so I could get this task done and therefore feel like I had accomplished what I had set out to do......get funding for my project.In the past year I have had the most extraordinary things happen to me. I went to Toronto to be broadcast on National Television....The CBC is such an iconic piece of Canadiana,It was so fascinating to be there!I sat in a make-up chair that many famous Canadians had sat.

I got to spend some time in Huntsville,with a new friendl and his family.Sitting outside in the absolute quite of the country,eating dinner with the cutest little girl that is the apple of her mom and dad's eye!Having moments of just enjoying the day.I always find it so interesting that everytime I travel ,my vision is opened up and I see the world in a different way once again.As the year progressed and I began to look at this project and find the people I want to colaborate with.I look back now and see how everything has come together.I with a little help from my friends have got a team of artists that when you look at it on paper or online is quite impressive.I have learned that people come into your life for a reason and you have to be open and find others who are also open to new and crazy ideas...ideas that really aren't that crazy at all just different.And one of those ideas is to record off of the floor,with everyone in the room.You know...kick it old school like they used to in the old days.it was normal,it was really cool! I even contemplated the thought of recording to analog tape.....I figure if Kate Bush can do it in 2011 then so could I.I don't think I will go that route yet but boy does it ever sound intriging!

I have the musicians I want and I have the studio I want, the engineer,mixing engineer and mastering engineer I want...It's interesting geting what you want.I guess maybe these are the people I actually need on this project.

This is my first time up to bat and I will be co-producing it with my fellow musician friend Bill Perison.In my mind I have pictures of how it will sound.I imagine A Thousand Kisses Deep as a depiction of the Raft of Medusa,the song is actullay a poem and has many verses. if you print it out on paper and fold it in half the lyrics are a mirror image of each other.Cohen, is one of my favourite artists and his genius is untouchable.

I have taken songs that are actually popular tunes and made them into jazz standards,jazz standars that I will do the opposite to.It is wonderful what you can do with a song written by Sting.This album will be recorded in the same room and live,maybe a few over dubbs for instruments.I have the songs swimming around in my head and they all have a painting to go with them.Everything is about the visual for me so I really need to be able to convey,give examples and express my vision to others so we are in the same groove.

I believe that all of these people and their expertize and talent would not have come my way if I had not allowed it in.My biiggest lesson to date......being open to all of the possibilites and to know that anything is possible.

18 DAYS AND COUNTING!!!!!! OMG!!!! that stands for Oh My God if you weren't sure.You know when you come up with what you think is a great idea and then as your great idea comes to fruition you start thinking.....OMG !! this is really going to happen!? My passion is teaching and I believe that singing is something that everyone can do and that they sould sing.Singing is great for your sanity.Singing allows you to feel free and be in the music.You can feel the vibrations through out your body.

The Southern Gospel Experience Workshop is less than 3 weeks away and my mind is all a flutter because I have people signed up for it and they are totally excited!Not that I didn't think they would be,I knew they would be.I see the look in a persons face when I talk to them about coming and they aren't sure because they are worried about how well they should sing or what's going to happen etc.I say "Don't worry 'bout a thing!" be cause what is going to happen is this:You are going to feel so fanatastic that you will float on air!You will feel happy and you may even be completely beside yourself with emotion.You may even shed a tear or two.I know I will, as it happens everytime and gospel music speaks so deeply to me that I don't want to stop the feelings I get from singning in a choir and just being in the moment.This workshop is for everyone,all levels of singing, all ages.This workshop is about the experience not the end result.I see the transformations that take place in people.I love learning the choir parts in the traditional "by wrote" way.This is how it was done back in the day when gospel was being born.Kim Pacheco is a fantastic conductor and facilitator along with being a spectacular vocalist.Kim and Richard together make a great team and everyone feels at home wth them.We are all looking forward to sharing these 4 days together.It is what makes life wonderful.Making connections,sharing,laughing and creating a sense of community.

Peace~Tamara

Some people may spend their weekends relaxing with family and doing chores around the house but I like to go and hang out with great musicians and meet new people and learn 5 new gospel songs in less than 24 hours!!

I know that sounds crazy ,but if you tasted the experience that i did ,you would want a dozen of those experiences to go!

I have a dear friend,I would actually call her my sister,her name is Gergan Velinova  www.gerganamusic.com   and she was born in Sofia,Bulgaria.She is a little fire cracker and she had this idea to put together a weekend workshop with another sister of mine Kim Pacheco  www.cdbaby.com/cd/kimpacheco  from Noth Carolina and my brother Richard White jr. www.reverbnation.com/richardharris from South Carolina.

This weekend was comprised of learning 5 songs, and having the Victoria High School R & B Band back us up.Kim amd Richard went into Vic High and worked with Eric Emde's students in the  R & B band for a few days prior to the weekend workshop.We had one rehearsal together and then we performed.You might be thinking..."How does it all come together?" The answer is "IT JUST DOES!" The environment that we were all in was a lets work it out,fix things as we go and not to worry.Its ll going to work out.

This weekend is all about the experience.You must experience the music,experience the people around you.These folks are are like my family and the hard work that goes into putting this type of weekend together is enormous!I love gospel and frankly think I am a black person in a white body! I have loved the sounds of gospel since i was a kid and I always wanted to sing it.I have been given this opportunity and I love it,I want others to love it,I want everyoone to experience what it feels like to just let go and be in the moment.

This weekend got me to thinking.......these workshops can happen everywhere......and I think they should.They bring humanity closer together and the closer humanity is together the more we can move forward and create a beautiful world.

I ask you to think about music in your life? Do you have it? Do you want it? DO YOU NEED IT?  I know I do.It makes me feel useful,happy and alive.

My dear friends Gergana,Kim and Richard are peacemakers and this is what life should be about.Love and fellowship is what we need.

and cupcakes!!

Peace~Tamara

Today I spent a great afternoon with some wonderful singers.I always find it amazing how receptive teens are to new things.I went to do a 2 hour workshop and ended up staying for 4 hours.It's one of those times where you love to just hang out and support.I have always believed that all people can sing and I also believe that music in the schools is what keeps people sane.There are times when I think back on my own education in high school and think,"WOW, wish I had this when I was younger !"

I see my role as a musician that has the responsibility of passing on the traditions.There are so many kinds of music that we don't hear a lot of and they could disappear right before our eyes or there is music that we just don't get an opportunity to perform on the Island.

Working with school aged kids is something that makes me feel useful as an artist.I loved the fact that these students loved singing,cared about each other and really wanted to learn how to improve on what they already knew.This is a perfect environment for me to learn a lot about teaching.As the teacher you learn a lot more than the students.You learn how far you can nudge someone to do something that may be a little uncomfortable but you know as the teacher ,it will help them grow and blossom.

My hope is to go back to Qualicum and do this all over again.

On Saturday,I spent 3 hours with around 25-30 young people.I say young people as they are at least my age divisible by 3 :)
When I work with young people I love to hear what they have to say.I am curious to know about a co-operative game we have played or a team building exercise we have just done.A common comment I hear is about not trusting the others around them.I always think and say,"in what areas of your life does that happen?Are you aware of it?I love to see the creative process at work and collaborating with hipster's of this time is cool, because we often forget what it was like to discouver new things....we get in ruts as adults and it's all work and no play!

The place we were at was in the middle of nature on Vancouver Island.......Strathcona Resort.......MY GOD! What a beautiful place to be,creating new sounds and brain synapses!There is something that we should do everyday and that is create.As a vocalist,I want to think in a way that is spontaneous.Spontaneous inventions.....this is the name of a Bobby McFerrin album, but it should also be a  metaphor for creating the life we want.Vocalist shoud freely improvoze for atleast 10 minutes a day.Starting with just a steady rhythm of even just one note.I find the sauna to be a great place because you have a drone happening usually in the sauna and that note is your foundation for your improv.

I am very passionate about what I do and I love inspiring and being inspired by others.Some people might call me a personal developement coach type or something along that vein.I just believe that everyone can sing!I want to help people break down the barriers between them and what it is that they want to do in life.

How we approach singing is probably how we approach many things in life.I love to see when vocalists have break throughs regarding a fear they had regarding singing a certain section of a song or even having great emotion while stepping over the threshold of success!

One thing I really want to instill in vocalist is listening to their environment.Music is everywhere......the sounds of a city, countryside.....where ever we are there is music.The sounds around you are your so called rhythm section.If you take time to just be out in nature for example and start to hum or sing......see where it takes you,you may be surprised!

If you have the desire to sing,sing!You have only one life on this earth and if singing is what you love to do,DO IT!

Peace~Tamara

The "GOAL" is to get 10 trax recorded and them sent to Arlene Dickinson CEO of Venture Communications.I was on Dragons Den and she wanted to hear more of "her" which is me and I am going to make that happen!So, having a game plan and pushing through it is crucial!!%6 songs down at 90% done and the other 4 will be fairly easy to do.This is a partnership deal also.Pianist/engineer/zen Master Bill Perison is collaborating on this venture.It is a great calling card so far and the product is great!Arlene look out! It's on its way!!!!!

I am just in the process of doing the paper work for a FACTOR Grant.This is a huge document where you need to have all the info about musicians,studio costs etc.I have until the 29th of October to get it done.I finally have enough songs together to send in some samples to be juried.Off  to the races!!