Katie Strand Music

Come Back

2011-12-05T17:54:00.001-08:00

Come Back

To purchase a digital download of this live performance of COME BACK, click on Katie Strand's Storefront directly below. Only 94cents for the complete song!

Want a FREE, high resolution version of this video

to share with a friend or to put on your site?

Click Here

Movies Revisited... or Why I Started Singing

2011-07-29T14:27:00.000-07:00

My childhood was filled with many movies, less than the average child now, for certain, but still, certain movies left a lasting impression on my young mind that has stayed with me over the years.

My first movie memory is of watching either Annie or The Wizard of Oz.

Ever notice in memories, especially childhood memories, how time doesn't necessarily flow in a linear fashion? Anyway, I can't say for certain which movie I saw first, but both movies became my favorites of childhood, and both inspired me to sing their theme-songs, Tomorrow and Somewhere Over the Rainbow, respectively. This started at age three, believe it or not, and I started singing at family gatherings with my mother accompanying me on the piano.

As embarrassing as it is, I used to sing with a turkey baster, because I thought it looked like a microphone. This was a very common sight at family gatherings. This was me at three!

While it's likely I was drenched in music prior to viewing these movies, these movies drove home an innate desire, an unfettered and unconditional draw to sing. I don't recall conscious thought about it, singing just felt right, so I just did it.

Soon thereafter, I started taking piano lessons. A few years after that, I started playing piano and singing simultaneously.

But movies are inextricably combined with my original love of singing and music. In fact, I starred in my first play at age 5. I was the little bird in Are You My Mother? For those unfamiliar, it's a children's book about a little bird who's mother is not in the nest when she hatches, so she goes around looking for her mother - asking a dog, a tractor, and some other humorous, un-bird things if they are her mother. Very cute children's book that I highly recommend.

Even though I was acting at a very early age (I continued to perform in school and community plays), singing was unequivocally my first love, and later at arts school, I found some of the actors in the theatre department to be a bit annoying and self-centered (others became fun and beloved friends), so I disassociated with that aspect of myself, focusing instead on singing. But it's no coincidence that as my other career (besides singing/music), I went into television- and film-making.

Being back in the home where I grew up for the last few months has reacquainted me with some of those early memories. My parent's home is remodeled and we don't have the same television from childhood (thankfully), but I'm here, and I swear, just the energy in this exact location on earth brings back early memories, feelings and experiences.

So, I'm starting to revisit some of those old movies (which I'll explore more in another blog), and it's good to see these movies through adult eyes. I understand subtleties in dialogue, language and cinematography much more than I did when I was a child. I actually get relationship and sexual undertones that I never caught before in movies in Pretty Woman and The Bodyguard - two movies I saw as a pre-teen, and probably way before I could fully appreciate or understand them.

It's worth noting that watching The Bodyguard with Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner inspired me to write this blog today. Whitney, I know you're out there and I wish you'd read this or listen to someone else besides Bobby Brown and whoever else is coddling you and not telling you how glorious you are and that you need to change your ways. All the drugs and the craziness that have consumed your life (that seem obvious from the change in your voice and persona) for many years now are NOT YOU. Get sober, girl, and please, please, please clean yourself up and start singing again for real. You were so amazing and beautiful and talented. Check out this clip of her doing The National Anthem in her pre-crack days. Never, and I mean NEVER, have I heard someone sing our National Anthem more effortlessly and beautifully. The arrangement was great, and it helped that they (the arranger/music director) changed the song to 4/4, four beats per measure instead of the original three, but her singing was simply sublime. Sublime!

That's all for now, except for this last question:

What during your childhood shaped you? What uncovered for you what you love? What uncovered what is true about you? Share, please.

**

Come Back (Live) - repost

2010-12-09T22:52:00.001-08:00

I'm reposting this because lately some people have been really loving this song so here it is again for any of you who might've forgotten how it goes...

Come Back

To purchase a digital download of this live performance of COME BACK, click on Katie Strand's Storefront directly below. Only 94cents for the complete song!

Want a FREE, high resolution version of this video
to share with a friend or to put on your site?
Click Here

The People Whisperer - My video creation for Oprah!

2010-06-25T20:00:00.000-07:00

Marcus and I created a video to submit to Oprah's competition to have Your Own Show. Who they select for the final casting and show depends on votes, so please VOTE!

Click HERE

for The People Whisperer video on Oprah.

Share this with everyone you know.
Voting closes July 3rd!

VOTING is very easy, just click this link to Oprah's YourOwnShow site with Marcus's Audition/The People Whisperer and click the green VOTE button under the video.

Remember, share with everyone you know!

YOU WANT TO SUPPORT The People Whisperer?

CLICK HERE to now vote at Oprah's site.

Remember,

YOUR VOTING NOW

Really Makes a Difference.

If you miss my regular, writing blogs, they will start up again now that I'm done with this project. Stay tuned for more, though we must ROCK THE VOTE! until July 3rd!

Cinco de Mayo (My Favorite Day)

2010-05-05T13:42:00.000-07:00

The whole Cinco de Mayo song for your listening pleasures available today. After today it'll be on itunes for purchase as soon as I get my a$$ around to doing it...

The one, the only, Cinco de Mayo song. By Katie Strand.

Thanks, Carl Hansen, for the inspiration (based on his movie, Cookie de Mayo, which involved a whole bunch of other people who deserved to be thanked too, but I'm too lazy to check their names.

Please share with your friends, and have some guacamole and jalapeños today!

Enjoy!

P.S. It's supposed to be funny & I mispronounce jalapeño on purpose... it's all for the rhyme.

New Music

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Posts

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Katie Strand Music

To Make You Feel My Love

Please Don't Leave Me

Going To California

Come Back

Home

More Interesting Katie Strand World Posts

Farts
Love & Hate. Drugs & Rebellion.
Occam's Razor - It's a Life & Faith Principle
If Richard Pryor had a period...
If you're prone to nudeness...
Hello, my name is Temple Grandin.
Blog tease, yelling to no one & the secret to long...
My Addendum to "Choose a Job You Love..."
The Primal Diet & Running
Chop Wood, Carry Water, Do Taxes
The male member revealed
Play with the Girls
How to tame the psycho hose beast
Oh boy, that's a good question! or How to Deal with the Census
These boots were made for walking
If I were a Ninja, I'd wear these shoes
How my friend Sally became the new First Lady
My Boyfriend has Autism...Maybe
Raw Primal Papaya Custard - The Nectar of the Gods
And All the Cows Said Moo!
If you were John Mayer, you would too
Tiredness - Varieties of and unforeseen side-effects
Foreplay is overrated
Food should be As God Intended or Why isn't everything we eat organic?
Yelling - One of the Highest Forms of Compassion
The Cove - Louie Psihoyos' Oscar speech & a guide on how to create change...
My Favorite Things...Arrabiata Recipe - Fresh, Organic, Vegan or Primal
My Favorite Shows on Television...or how David Duchovney & Jesus are likely Good in Bed
The Hawaiian Islands and Washington D.C.’s sand-paper circle-jerk about Health Care
My Buddha has Termites...A Lesson in Infinite Joy
The One-Date-Wonders!
I had to learn SIGN LANGUAGE when I moved to Los Angeles
Guys can make a game out of anything
Hello? The power of CONNECTING and how technology has changed things
Popping the question is better than porn!
Bravo, Stephen Colbert & Co! and your Olympic Vancouverage
Songwriting is like SEX
Born To Run by Christopher McDougall - Inspiring a inspiring all of us to be more in the FLOW
A moment of silence for all the plastic surgery casualties
Ricky Gervais should be the new Simon on American Idol
Muscle SURPRISE! The key to physical, mental & emotional fitness
I think my boyfriend's a snake...
Release... Sweat & Power
MY FAVORITE THINGS! - Vibram's Five Fingers
Dick Morris... How do you sleep at night?
Rusty DePass, Gorillas, and Obama, oh my!
Michael Jackson - Troubled Genius

To Make You Feel My Love

2010-04-14T03:59:00.000-07:00

To Make You Feel My Love

Let me know what you think. Comments are welcome and encouraged!

Katie

For the the full length MP3 download check out my store front below, or just CLICK HERE:
Buy Now @ Lulu.com

DOWNLOAD INSTRUCTIONS TO ALL BUYERS:
After clicking on your song of choice, click ADD TO CART. You will then sign up for lulu and pay for song. Then follow this link or click here for

COMPLETE DOWNLOAD AT:
http://www.lulu.com/account/downloads.php

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If Richard Pryor had a period...

If you're prone to nudeness..

Please Don't Leave Me

2010-03-07T01:55:00.000-08:00

Please Don't Leave Me

Pink has this incredible ability to write (or co-write, or perform when songs are written for her) songs that are pop-friendly, but also intense and meaningful. I suspect we all have been in a similar position where we have this dysfunctional relationship, but still, we can't stand the idea of this person leaving us. With this one I decided to make it into a ballad because she does it so well her way, I needed to make my own, more mellow and acoustically sparse version.

Let me know what you think. Comments are welcome and encouraged!

Katie

For the the full length MP3 download check out my store front below, or just CLICK HERE:
Buy Now @ Lulu.com

More Music
&
Posts
at
Katie Strand Music

Need More Katie Strand?
Here are the latest amazing blogs
from
Katie Strand World

Going To California

2010-03-05T17:59:00.001-08:00

New!

For the the full length download check out my store front below, or just CLICK HERE:

Buy Now @ Lulu.com

Going To California

2010-03-05T05:50:00.000-08:00

New!

For the the full length download check out my store front below, or just CLICK HERE:

Buy Now @ Lulu.com

Come Back (Live)

2009-07-20T01:08:00.000-07:00

Come Back

Hello everybody. This song has been a favorite of fans since I debuted it a few years ago. So I've added an intimate, home performance to this blog. Straight from my bedroom to yours! Ha! There is another video on here right now (a songwriter's event called SongPull) from a couple of years ago,
To purchase a digital download of this live performance of COME BACK, click on Katie Strand's Storefront directly below. Only 94cents for the complete song!

Want a FREE, high resolution version of this video
to share with a friend or to put on your site?
Click Here

More Amazing Music and Posts at Katie Strand Music

Some Interesting Posts from Katie Strand World

Come Back

2009-06-26T14:59:00.000-07:00

Come Back

To purchase a digital download of this live performance of COME BACK, click on Katie Strand's Storefront directly below. Only 94cents for the complete song!

Want a FREE, high resolution version of this video
to share with a friend or to put on your site?
Click Here

Home

2009-06-25T17:32:00.000-07:00

Home

Funny face on the still photo! I participated in this great singer/songwriter event directed by George Whitman called Songpull a few years ago, and here's the video.
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