Category Archives: Liberation

Being Totally Alive in Paris and Oslo!

From Fear to Success

Caroline moments before her recent concert in Oslo, Norway.

Caroline moments before her recent house concert in Oslo, Norway.

I was fortunate enough to experience a most magical promotional tour to Paris, France and Oslo, Norway this fall. My intention with the trip was threefold: To celebrate my sister’s birthday at the Lido in Paris, to celebrate my brother’s birthday at his beautiful home in Oslo, and to introduce my new CD, Being Totally Alive.

Paris made me nervous, since I had a bad experience on my last trip there, some 21 years ago. Long story short, I was assaulted and left with a strong sense of fear and disempowerment for many years to come. Since then, I have had great sadness about Paris, specially since it is regarded by so many as a city of beauty and romance.

This time, my dear friend and amazing actress Judi Beecher just happened to be finishing up a movie just as I arrived, which synchronistically created the opportunity for me to spend a whole day taking in the beauty and history of this magical city with someone who also could hold space for my experience. And by sharing my experience in this new time-space reality, I was able to release the fear of it and more fully realize the beauty of my life as it is today. Pretty cool, huh?

The Power of Celebration

This is how I see it: I made myself go to Paris because I was determined to celebrate my sister on her birthday. And because of my determination to celebrate and appreciate, I was given the opportunity to heal. Being Totally Alive was created from this point of view and in celebration of the love that connect us all. As a result, doors are opening that I never ever even knew existed.

Some people call me crazy for staying in the game of show business and for stubbornly moving forward with my dream building, not matter how gloomy the illusion of economy gets and no matter how many obstacles seem to be looming in the distance. But I can assure you that it is worth every breath of my being to stay in celebration, to let my creativity blossom and to let my heart sing whenever possible.

As previously mentioned, I was also determined to celebrate my brother on his birthday. And as it turned out, he generously offered to host a house concert with me singing and playing at his beautiful home in Oslo this last week. The turnout was simply amazing. I sold more CDs than I thought possible. And, as if that wasn’t enough, one of my most favorite musicians of all times, renowned cellist Aage Kvalbein, came by to see me.

My Meeting With Aage Kvalbein

Aage Kvalbein and Caroline Waters

Aage Kvalbein and Caroline Waters

Aage and I first met when I was fifteen years old and played second violin in the National Youth Symphonic Orchestra of Norway, where he was one of the cello instructors. I remember how he took my breath away by playing Flight of the Bumble Bee with incredible ease and emotion out on the lawn at lunch, just for fun. He later accompanied me both in concert and on television when I released my first CD, Compassion. Listening to Aage’s albums over the years have been a great inspiration for my composer self. He totally made my day at the end of my concert when he told me how much my music moved him and how he would love to co-create something with me in Norway next year.

Here’s a song for you! Sing along if you like:))) Being Totally Alive

Love and Blessings, Caroline

BEING TOTALLY ALIVE by Caroline Waters

I have been so ironically delusional
Suspicious and judgmental
Erratic sentimental
I’m sorry that I let you dwn
It took me a while to come around

I hope it’s not too late for me to tell you that I’m sorry
I hope it’s not too late for me to tell you not to worry

I’d like to start all over if I can
Take you hand and walk together while we figure out a plan
To explore what we would like to feel and taste and see and learn
To be free from all the stuff that keeps us from our being

Being totally alive
Being totally alive

I hope it’s not too late for me to tell you that I miss you
I hope it’s not too late for me to tell you I want to kiss you

I’d like to start all over if I can
Take you hand and walk together while we figure out a plan
To explore what we would like to feel and taste and see and learn
To be free from all the stuff that keeps us from our being

Being totally alive
Being totally alive

Nurturing the Child Within

How I broke the cycle of codependency

About seven years ago, I found myself sitting in the sofa in my living room, unable to move, feeling completely helpless. Long story short, I was heartbroken from having invested a big chunk of myself into a relationship with an addict. And as a result of repeatedly not heading the deafening warning bells, I had tricked myself into believing that this person could provide me with the nurture that I needed, eventually, if I just loved them well enough. And as I sat there, as the walls of my illusion came crashing down, leaving me freezing cold and naked to the bone, all I wanted to do was cry for my mom to pick me up. Except Mom was long gone and I had no more brilliant solutions to keep me afloat on that big river in Egypt. It was over.

As I sat there, feeling the excruciating magnitude of my loneliness, without moving to fix it, the feeling intensified to the point where I thought I was going to die. And as I let myself fully embrace the death of me in that moment, a shift happened. That very moment is when I learned to nurture myself from the inside. I got up from the sofa, sat down by the grand piano and began to sing, “It’s gonna be alright you know, little angel. It’s gonna be alright you know, little angel of mine.” I finished the whole song in less than half and hour, and to this day, it is one of my favorite tunes.

Little Angel to the Movies

Little Angel was just picked up to be in the final scene going into the end credits in a movie called, Next of Kin, and can also be found on the Venus Envy CD. I have enclosed the song for your listening pleasure and the lyrics, so you can sing along:)

Love and Blessings, Caroline

Little Angel by Caroline Waters (Get the CD)

It’s gonna be alright, you know, little angel
It’s gonna be alright, you know, little angel of mine

I’ll hold you close and I’ll keep you warm
Cause I love you so, little angel of mine

No one’s gonna hurt you now, little angel
No one’s gonna hurt you now, little angel of mine
I’m gonna take care of you, little angel
I’m gonna take care of you, little angel of mine

I’ll be your mom and I’ll keep you from harm
Till the end of time, little angel of mine

You’ll never be alone again, little angel
You’ll never be alone again, little angel of mine
It’s gonna be alright, you know, little angel
It’s gonna be alright, you know, little angel of mine

I’ll keep you safe and I’ll let you cry
Then I’ll see you fly, little angel of mine

It’s gonna be alright, you know, little angel
It’s gonna be alright, you know, little angel of mine

Vocal Expression As Youth Serum

Anne Brown is my number one mentor in the art of singing. On August 9 she’ll be 96 years old. Her face is practically wrinkle free, thanks to a life of vocal expression. Although she also credits her African-American gene pool, she told me early on that no skin product or plastic surgery beats the advantage of singing. “If you want to stay young forever, do your vocal exercises every day”, she said. Then she would add, “And they are also very effective as anti-depressants”. I can testify to all of the above. It’s almost impossible to stay sad or stagnate for any length of time when you open your heart in song on a daily basis.

I visited Anne two weeks ago in Oslo, after an incredible adventure of skiing and performing in the mountains of Norway. She was just as beautiful as I remembered and I was struck, once again, by the magnitude of the brilliance of her being. “Sing to me,” she said, and closed her eyes to listen. I sat down by the grand piano and sang Little Girl and Perfect, two of my favorite songs from Red Velvet Sensations. Her eyes remained closed after I finished. And then a great big smile made its way across her face as she nodded, the exact same way she used to nod when I was just starting out and had completed my homework to her satisfaction. My heart filled up in an instant.

Here’s a picture of Anne and I from two years ago, when she was ‘only’ 94. She had come to celebrate my 40th birthday at my childhood home, and insisted on playing the piano while I sang Summertime, the song she made famous as the original Bess in Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess.

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Yeah well, so I’m a little nuts about this lady. The gift of her teaching and steady loving support has meant the world to me. Anne Brown has taught me to channel life itself, unabashedly so, through my breath, voice and being. She has taught me to open my heart and soul and really, really listen to the sound that wants to come forth. She has taught me, by the power of vocal expression, to stay forever young.

Here’s Little Girl, for your listening pleasure. Feel free to sing along:)))

Little Girl (Written by Caroline Waters. All rights reserved)

Little girl, did you know that in your eyes is Paradise

When you see the way you see, I believe

Little girl, in your eyes is Paradise

When you open your heart in song

You belong to everyone who will hear

Far or near, loud and clear

When you are simply being the one you are

Just the little girl

Little girl, did you know that in your eyes is Paradise

When you smile the way you smile

Just like the little girl you are

Love and Blessings, Caroline

Being Venus

The secret to attracting a new lover:

Have you ever felt like no matter how hard you try to accomplish something new, you seem to run in the same circles, attract the same kind of people and make all the same mistakes? It is the strangest thing… You think you have learned from your experience, have a solid vision of what you want to achieve and have a pretty good attitude about moving forward. And then, before you now it, you get slammed with some annoying mirror image from the past.

The experts tell us that our conscious experience is primarily governed by the subconscious mind. This means that we need to reprogram our subconscious mind to cause real changes in our lives. This can be done in many different ways. One way is to keep thinking better feeling thoughts about any given subject and thus gradually move up the vibrational scale until we meet our goals. The better we feel about what we want to accomplish, the more in line we are, energetically, with our desires, the more likely we are to succeed.

The most commonly known method to speed up this process is hypnotherapy. Another, not as well known but, in my opinion, equally effective method is through the power of music. Since we are, essentially, seeking to change the vibration of our thought patterns, music, being one of the purest forms of vibration, is an excellent way to powerfully affect our subconscious. Think about the songs that put you in a really good mood and makes you feel like you can accomplish anything. For many of us, it feels even more amazing to sing and dance along with those songs. Imagine how you would feel if you were to write a song about exactly what you want to attract, and to sing and dance that song until you become the song itself. How would that make you feel? Pretty good, yes?:)

Venus Envy

How I came to embody Venus, the Goddess of Love

I had just given an intimate concert at the Water Lily Cafe in Topanga Canyon, when a dear friend approached me. She said, “Caroline, how come almost all of your songs are about unrequited love? I sense this incredible longing in you for a romantic partner. Are you happy?” I didn’t know what to say at first. Was I happy? I was working a lot, for sure, and feeling a tremendous amount of satisfaction in all my creative endeavors. But it was also true that I was feeling an intense yearning for a partner. “I’m not sure how to go about attracting a new lover,” I said. “It seems like I keep meeting people who are emotionally unavailable in one way or another.” My friend laughed. “And that surprises you?” she said. “Just listen to the words you are singing. You are a powerful creator, Caroline, and seem to be manifesting exactly what your songs are about. Why don’t you write some new material, about what you really want, and write as if it is already a reality? I bet you’re gonna notice a big shift.”

That same evening, I wrote the song that was not only going to bring me my new lover, but also an amazing record producer named Greg Matheson, a great new solo album and a license deal that landed me on a compilation CD with Dianna Krall, Norah Jones and Natalie Cole. As you may have already guessed from the headline, here’s the song I’m talking about: I Am Venus

Embodying Venus has been the most powerful decision I have made in my life and career. As a result of identifying with the Goddess of Love, I have come to love and appreciate myself, life itself and every single being I encounter with greater joy and intensity than I ever could imagine. My perspective of the world at large has also shifted dramatically, as it has become clear to me how we create our own reality and how easy it is to make it better. I just love how this stuff works! Try it sometime, if you haven’t already:)

Love and Blessings, Caroline

PS. If you’d like to sing along with I Am Venus, you can click on the link above, and here are the lyrics:

I AM VENUS (CD available at carolinewaters.com)

I am Venus, I am love, I am sugar from above

I am temptation, gratification, mystification and revelation of all

I am Venus, I am love, I am sugar from above

I am sensation, unification, the inspiration and destination of all

I am milk, I am honey, I am better than your money

I am milk, I am honey, I am

I am milk, I am honey, I am better than your money

I am milk, I am honey, I am, I am

I am Venus, I am love, I am sugar from above

I am temptation, gratification, mystification and destination of all

I am heat and desire, I am dance in the fire

I am an ocean, always in motion, I am devotion, uh, a locomotion of all

I am milk, I am honey, I am better than your money

I am milk, I am honey, I am

I am milk, I am honey, I am better than your money

I am milk, I am honey, I am, I am