Category Archives: Songwriting

3 Keys to Vocal Freedom

Posted on October 14, 2013 | Leave a comment

Have you ever felt like you’re on the verge of doom and that you don’t know how to move forward? Have you ever felt trapped in your own mind because you feel as if you are stuck between impossible choices?

I go through periods when these kinds of feelings are prominent. And when I stop to analyze the situation, I realize the feeling of doom is usually exaggerated and not a realistic response to my actual predicament. But it is often serious enough to warrant some major changes in the way I go abut my life or business.

The key, when I am faced with indecision, of not knowing what to do next, is to stay calm, breathe, make sure my body is properly nurtured and then proceed with activities that move me into a better feeling place.

When we build habits based on activities that put us in a better feeling place, solutions will present themselves in a more organic fashion. The following habits are my personal keys to freedom from mind bondage and indecision:

1. Make sure you get enough oxygen flowing through your system by doing yoga, breathing meditations, walking, running, jumping or dancing on a daily basis.

2. Make sure you are properly watered and nurtured with organically grown whole foods that are alkaline and life affirming on a daily basis.

3. Make sure you have an outlet for thoughts, feelings and ideas by journaling, conversing, songwriting, creating art, speaking or singing on a daily basis.

Vocal Freedom in Santa Monica
For the next five mornings, I will be teaching Vocal Freedom on the beach in Santa Monica. Feel free to join us if you’d like to walk with the dolphins, free your expression, strengthen your voice and sing your life into a more powerful and joyous existence. I will walk with you every step of the way.

Vocal Freedom in Culver City
You are also welcome to join us next Saturday, as I’ll be teaching a one-day Vocal Freedom Intensive seminar at Redhead Records Studio in Culver City.

Registration and more info at www.carolinewaters.com/seminars.php 

Leave a comment

Posted in Creativity, Life and Career, Self Confidence, Self Empowerment, Songwriting, Tools for overcoming depression, Vocal freedom

Tagged , , , , , , ,

Scoring Greta Garbo

Posted on May 19, 2013 | Leave a comment

It has been a remarkable process, creating the music and sound design for Swedish actress Ottiliana Rolandsson’s one-woman show “I Was Greta Garbo”, which only yesterday finished its first run at The Zephyr Theatre in Hollywood.

I Was Greta Garbo

Since I didn’t have the luxury of being there in person, perhaps the greatest challenge was going through every process via DropBox. But in spite of missing the face to face interaction with my co-conspirators, I have found it very cool to discover more of what is possible to accomplish via the Internet.

Capturing the essence of an enigma such as Garbo was indeed a tantalizing task. She was so brilliant, so multi-faceted, so powerful, so tender and so beautiful in her being and performance that anything I added would have to be simple enough to underscore the storyline, yet complex enough, deep enough and vulnerable enough to match her energy.

I decided that for me, personally, the essence of Garbo was seductive, sensual and deeply committed to the moment, but not a moment longer. Musically translated, I decided to create pieces of music that bore promise of a deeper commitment, but shamelessly and sometimes surprisingly would leave the listener wanting more. Of course, this needed to be done with enough grace and poise and subtlety to avoid arousing suspicion.

It is only in the scene of her death, or rather, in the scene where she realizes she is dead, that a release of emotion and a completion of form are reached in musical terms. And even here, I have consciously placed an eerie reminder of the stirring she left in the hearts of all who had the pleasure of witnessing her, on screen or in the flesh.

“I Was Greta Garbo”, starring Ottiliana Rolandsson, will be playing in Stockholm this summer, courtesy of The Garbo Society of Sweden. And I plan to be doing some live performances in conjunction with it. Feel free to stop by if you’re in the vicinity or are moved to make the trip.

Stay tuned at www.carolinewaters.com/shows.php or feel free to sign up on my email list for VIP notifications. All CDs are available at my online store.

Musically Yours,
Caroline

Leave a comment

Posted in Caroline's Concerts, Communication, Creativity, Life and Career, Musical Theatre, Scoring for Film and Theatre, Self Confidence, Songwriting

Tagged , , , , , , ,

Finding Venus in Studio City

Posted on March 18, 2013 | Leave a comment

First of all, a great big THANK YOU to everyone who helped make last month’s performance of Finding Venus a smash hit at the box office!!! I am so incredibly grateful for the amazing cast and crew and audience who co-created such a beautiful evening of music and love and consciousness expansion!

Because of this success as well as numerous requests, we have added a performance of Finding Venus at Mare’ka in Studio City on Saturday, March 30th! For tickets and more info, please go to www.carolinewaters.com/shows.php

We received a most beautiful review by A.J. Llewellyn: “It was a mighty wind the Goddess Venus ushered in that frigid evening as one of her daughters shed tears and heart blood to the rapt crowd as she shared the story of her life…” Click here to read more.

And I am eternally grateful to Ira Cord for his beautiful video. Here’s a little snippet from the performance. I am singing “And I Pretend” while Katisse Buckingham plays flute and beatbox, Jennifer Richardson sings backup and amazing actors Ottiliana Rolandsson, Marie Bergenholtz and Katia Moraes embody the emotion:

Leave a comment

Posted in Caroline's Concerts, Healing, Liberation, Musical Theatre, Songwriting

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

Creative Artistry Versus Senseless Killings

Posted on July 22, 2012 | 2 comments

Today is the anniversary of a lonely man’s senseless killings in Norway. It is interesting to me how such an extreme expression can generate such interest for so many all over the world. What is it with us humans that make us pay so much more attention to a single act of violence than a multitude of loving gestures, such as healing and creative artistry?

Is it our survival instincts kicking in or an ancient thirst for blood? Or are we paying attention simply because we have already risen to a higher consciousness as society and are intrigued by those who appear to be stuck in past realms of being and interacting? Will their primitive sense of power dissipate as we loose interest and thus stop feeding them our fear based energy?

I am reading a wonderful book at the moment, titled “A Discovery of Witches“, written by Deborah Harkness. It’s an exploratory adventure of historical literature and alchemy, where witches, vampires and daemons are being forced to work together for the common good, and in the process, they are learning to respect and accept each others’ abilities and differences. Highly recommended!

For the next seven days, I’ll be staying at the House of Songs in Austin, Texas, thoroughly enjoying the amazing live music scene while enduring intense heat and humidity. The latter being not being the easiest task for a freckle faced Norwegian. Temporarily saved by the cool air conditioner at Starbucks, new songs are willing their way onto the paper in front of me, aided by the sweetness of my new love and the memory of the one I lost…

Love and Blessings, Caroline

IF YOU WERE HERE WITH ME NOW
Words and Music written by Caroline Waters.
©2012 by Caroline Waters. All Rights Reserved.

If you were here with me now
Would you tell me to swing low

Would you yell at me for dropping the ball
Would you smile at me for standing tall
Or would you just listen, sweet and tender
While I release it all in reckless surrender

Would you tell me to hurry or slow down instead
Would you ask me to come out and play outside of my head
If you were here with me now, somehow…
Would you ask me to swing low

Would you simply observe, in your usual way
Things that might appear to sway
Left of center, less than perfect, curiously odd at first
Seeing how the magic stay between the lines
Intensely increasing, like a vampire’s thirst

Would you smile like only you can do
And illuminate the room with your laughter
Would angels appear right next to you
Singing songs of the hereafter

Would I cry or laugh or count to ten
Or open wide to my perception
As you fill my heart all over again
With the knowing of our connection

Would you hold me in your gaze
Until I found my true existence
Or would you trust me with my own grace
To know the value of persistence

If you were here with me now
Would we let the curtain fall
Or would we simply be still
and savor, savor, savor the awe of it all

2 Comments

Posted in Communication, Healing, Love and romance, Sivilized Debate, Songwriting, World Peace

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Finding Venus in Norway

Posted on May 31, 2012 | Leave a comment

I am scared shitless, to be perfectly honest. This is my home country, where I grew up, where all my “baggage” first assembled, where all my first impressions were formed, where my first insecurities took hold, where I first began to compare myself to others, where I used to feel extremely uncomfortable in my grown-up clothing.

I am also intensely excited, as I feel like I am stepping onto a new stage of life, in my home country, as someone who has come full circle in so many ways.

Three weeks from now I will be performing my new jazzy musical thriller, Finding Venus (På Hengende Håret), for the first time with a full cast in Norwegian. Yeah, it’s happening at Herr Nilsen in Oslo on June 21st!

Finding Venus (På Hengende Håret) by Caroline WatersThe scary part is that I suspect I might be met with a more critical eye and ear in these parts, since I come from a well known entertainment family, which of course entails certain expectations. At the same time it feels absolutely fantastic to finally get to tell my story of healing and transformation, which has been partially hidden for so many years.

The cast is fantastic, just the right mix of talented, wild and wise. A beautiful bundle of creative energies, each with their own unique expression of love and life.

The musicians are some of my very favorite in the world. Deb and I used to play together in a duo called Sirens. We’d make the European clubs go wild with our combination of jazzy classical pop and funky groovy out-of-this-world weirdness. Aage and I met when I played my violin in a Nordic Youth Symphony orchestra at fifteen and have played together off and on since then. Amazing cellist!

Here’s a link to the calendar and ticket sales: www.carolinewaters.com/shows.php

Here’s a link to my official website, where you can find video and sound clips for both the Norwegian and English versions: www.carolinewaters.com

Looking forward!

Love and Blessings, Caroline

Leave a comment

Posted in Caroline's Concerts, Codependant no more, Communication, Getting out of denial, Healing, Liberation, Mourning, Paranormal Activity, Posttraumatic stress, Self Confidence, Self Empowerment, Songwriting, Vocal freedom

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Finding Venus – Come Hell or High Waters

Posted on January 14, 2012 | Leave a comment

I’m not exactly sure why it took me so long to find the courage to share this particular story. It’s not like I haven’t shared at all, but my sharing has mostly consisted of blippets of life and carefully selected soundbites to illustrate an emotional journey that has left many questions unanswered.

Stilling the voices of fear
It has taken almost ten years to finish the process of writing this memoir. The writing itself didn’t take that long, but stilling the voices of fear and arriving at a point of feeling worthy of sharing it took lots and lots of processing.

Since I grew up as a child star and got ample validation for my performance, sharing myself in musical and theatrical ways have been much easier than sharing myself as a person. In many ways, I have hidden behind my artist image, carefully selecting the pieces that had “promotional value” for public display.

At this point in my career, all I really care about is to share my truth and being in ways that will empower and build bridges of love, tolerance and understanding. And, in order to do that, I need to be as real and honest as I possibly can.

Finding Venus – Come Hell or High Waters is the true story of how I managed to recover and come back to life after the near death accident that left me with temporary brain damage, amnesia and enhanced psychic abilities.

During this time, Stefanie Stroh, the only person I felt any kind of connection to after the accident, disappeared in the Nevada desert in the same area the notorious serial killer Tommy Lynn Sells operated. My search for her was instrumental in bringing me back to a sense of Self and purpose.

Many layers
This story has many layers: In addition to describing the transformational journey of healing from amnesia and post traumatic stress, it is also a testimonial to how I found my identity as a human being, how I dared to come out of the closet as a sexual being and how I managed to embrace life from a whole new perspective.

Since I also have written songs that go hand in glove with this particular journey, Finding Venus – Come Hell or High Waters is also being transformed into a 90-minute musical stage performance, which I am currently preparing to showcase in Oslo, New York and Los Angeles. I am terrified, to tell you the truth, of putting myself out there is this manner. And, at the same time, I am excited to finally let the cat out of the bag and share this powerful adventure of transformation and healing.

Consciousness expanding activities
If you or anyone you know have ever experienced trauma to the brain, loss of identity, amnesia, performance pressure, challenges in relationship to parental opinions, enhanced psychic abilities, paranormal activity, post traumatic stress or other consciousness expanding activities, you might find this musical particularly intriguing, comforting and empowering.

Sharing the love
It is my desire to share the love that I experienced throughout this powerful healing transformation in ways that will entertain, humor, enlighten, delight and give hope for the future.

Please stay tuned for show dates and more info at www.carolinewaters.com

Here’s a taste:)

Leave a comment

Posted in Caroline's Concerts, Communication, Getting out of denial, Healing, Liberation, Life and Career, Love and romance, Mourning, Paranormal Activity, Posttraumatic stress, Self Confidence, Self Empowerment, Songwriting, Vocal freedom

Tagged , , , , , , , ,

It’s Hard to Believe

Posted on August 3, 2011 | 3 comments

It’s hard to fathom that the killer who bombed, shot and killed 76 of my fellow countrymen, women and children went to my high school, got confirmed at my church, grew up in my neighborhood, etc. It’s hard to put my brain around the fact that one of the worst mass murderers of our time is not one of “them”, but one of “us”. This fact alone has made me examine my thoughts, feelings and motives in depth. For this I am grateful. It is far too easy to point fingers and blame others when we can separate ourselves from the perpetrator, in looks, religion, ideology and so forth.

Hopefully, most of us will at this time choose to take a closer look at how we contribute to our community and society at large, in thoughts, ideas, words and physical action. I believe that we are all connected in more ways than we can comprehend. I believe that we are all responsible for the world that we create and that includes the emotional and ideological climate that ignites hate crimes.

I believe that I have a responsibility for how I feel, how I think and how I act out those thoughts and emotions in relationship to other beings. It is my hope that as we as community learn how much we matter to each other and to the whole of society, as we learn that our individual thoughts and ideas and feelings make a difference, we will raise our mass consciousness to a level where massive healing and rejuvenation can take place.

Here’s a song I wrote when a dear friend told me that her mother was shot and killed. Crying and singing it has helped me through some of the overwhelming feelings of grief, loss and despair I have been feeling in the last couple weeks:

It’s Hard to Believe by Caroline Waters

It’s hard to believe
Such a horrid affair
It’s hard to conceive
There is blood everywhere
It’s hard to believe that she couldn’t run away

It’s hard to believe
Such a charming lad
It’s hard to conceive
He would go this mad
It’s hard to believe that she couldn’t run away

In one fell swoop you blew her away
In one fell swoop you made us all pay
In one fell swoop you killed us all
And you weren’t even man enough to take the fall

It’s hard to forgive
Such a horrid affair
It’s hard to forgive
When there’s blood everywhere
It’s hard to forgive that she couldn’t run away

In one fell swoop I’ve come to hate
Every single part of me that can relate
Every single part that reminds me of you
How could you do it, laddy, how could you?

In one fell swoop you blew her away
In one fell swoop you made us all pay
In one fell swoop you killed us all

3 Comments

Posted in Getting out of denial, Healing, Mourning, Self Empowerment, Songwriting, Vocal freedom, World Peace

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Planetary Relief and Focused Intention

Posted on March 28, 2011 | Leave a comment

We are pummeled, on a daily basis now, with powerful images of the force of nature as She rains and shakes and shifts and overflows. We are also pummeled, on a daily basis, with powerful images of the force of people, as we unite in protest against tyranny and dictatorship, as we kill each other in the name of God and just cause, and as we cause major disasters in the name of capitalism and industrial progress.

The art of appreciation, focus and communication

How can we set the tone for a more harmonious co-creation? How can we empower each other to collaborate in the spirit of love? How can we allow ourselves to receive the good that abounds and let the energy of good vibrations reverberate into the world at large?

These are some of the main tools that help me stay focused and inspired:

Appreciation – Express what you appreciate as often as you can, in words and action, and bask in the feeling of that which you appreciate as you go about your day. Write it, sing it, speak it, show it in all kinds of ways you  can think of and watch how your perspective and the world around you transforms as a result.

Focus – Keep you eye on what it is you wish to accomplish, create, receive and avoid fear based distractions. Give your attention, time and energy to that which you love and want to see blossom and thrive. Do this with any scenario that has your attention and see what happens.

Communication – Share your strengths, vision and gifts in ways that gives you joy and feels good in your heart and soul. Ask for help when you need it and receive the love that abounds with open arms, also when it comes in unexpected ways.

These simple tools have helped me in more ways than I can describe. By keeping my eye on the ball, giving and receiving in the spirit of joy and heartfelt communication and practicing the art of appreciation as much as I can, I am able to stay positive and creative in the face of adversity and turmoil. By focusing on the positive aspects, I can see the beauty and creative potential in people and situations that otherwise would have scared me and inhibited my expression.

Here’s my song Did You Know as I performed it with cellist Erlend Habbestad at an amazing venue called Smöga in Sweden last summer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4swoKym5y5Q

Love and Blessings, Caroline

Leave a comment

Posted in Caroline's Concerts, Climate Solutons, Healing, Liberation, Planetary Relief, Self Confidence, Self Empowerment, Songwriting, World Peace

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

Peace in the Middle East

Posted on May 31, 2010 | Leave a comment

I am processing this morning’s newspaper articles about the Israeli violence in international waters… and thinking back to the huge gathering of people protesting in the streets of Oslo (Norway) yesterday, as my partner and I rode our bikes to the ocean, blissfully unaware of what was going on.

I was puzzled by the massive show of police around the Israeli embassy and by the intensity of the slogans. “The Israelis want to kill us all,” sounded loud and clear as we made our way through the castle park, starkly contrasting the colorful and harmonious array of people sun bathing and picnicking all around us. I didn’t think much of it, because we are used to people expressing their opinions in passionate measures in this city. Passionate, yet non-violent.

I am left feeling grateful to know from experience that peaceful coexistence with people of different cultures and preferences is more than possible. It creates amazing opportunities to grow and thrive as a society. How can we ease the fear of those who are ignorant of this fact? How can we encourage love, compassion, understanding, communication and forgiveness on a larger scale?

My good friend and brilliant writer/ actor/ teacher Brenda Adelman is doing her one-woman-show, My Brooklyn Hamlet, in London this summer and I am writing some of the music for it. Her show is about forgiveness and this lady knows what she is talking about. Her father murdered her mother and married her aunt. She spent many years teaching herself how to forgive and is now being a formidable coach for others who struggle with letting go of their anger toward themselves and others. She has a fabulous free newsletter also. Here’s her site: http://www.forgivenessandfreedom.com

Here’s a song I wrote for my own upcoming musical, Come Hell or High Waters. It’s not recorded yet, but I can give you the words for now. Enjoy!

Love and Blessings, Caroline

DID YOU KNOW?
Words and Music by Caroline Waters

Did you know we’re the same you and I
Did you know, we can see eye to eye
Did you know, we can fly, you and I

Did you know, we are always free
To choose however we want it to be
And create all the magic we want to see

We’re perfect parts of each others creation
Brilliant extensions of our elation
We’re more than a mere manifestation
More like a convention of manifest intention

It’s all a dream of our construction
It’s all good, like tax deduction
Or like a really good film production

Did you know, there’s a pie in the sky
Did you know, there’s no real goodbye
Did you know, we can fly, you and I

We’re gonna make everything okay
There’s no limit to the power of our say
If we listen to our heart and stay
With the groove that it gives us day by day

Did you know, there’s a pie
Did you know, we can fly

©2010 by Caroline Waters. All Rights Reserved.

Leave a comment

Posted in Healing, Liberation, Songwriting, Vocal freedom, World Peace

Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Sweet People

Posted on May 30, 2010 | Leave a comment
The Eurovision Song Contest
I watched The Eurovision Song Contest last night, for the first time in many years. It made me cry and laugh and dance and sing, mostly because it showed how such a large group of people, of the world, could be so easily united in music and dance.
Profound expression
It touched me deeply to witness the singer from Ukraine deliver such a profound expression of desire to heal this world that we are all part of. I wish she would have won, so the message of “our home” could be shared and felt by as many as possible. I also wish that we, in the not too distant future, can gather again and again to share our hopes and dreams and prayers through music and dance and other heartfelt expression, stripped down to the bone, where the heart can be fully visible.
Freedom to celebrate our diversity
I want for us to receive each other in forums where clothing and financial status simply doesn’t matter, and where the song in our hearts is what matters the most. Imagine places where we don’t have to use drugs or alcohol to keep out the industrialized impressions that fight to get our attention, where we are free to breathe and listen with our hearts. And perhaps more importantly, where we are free to celebrate each other for our individuality and diversity.

Bringing people together
This “song contest” used to be called “a melody festival” in the past in Norway.  I really liked those words… This event was created for the purpose of bringing together people from all different countries, coming together as one people, to celebrate our hearts in song. It really doesn’t matter who wins. It matters that we are all in it together, creating a space where the songs in our hearts can be heard and shared by many.

Let’s focus
Let’s not worry so much about what fashion statements are being made or what country can produce the flashiest show. Let’s focus on what unites us and inspires us to love.

Here’s the song, Sweet People, as sung by Alyosha from Ukraine: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AvMJueiCyo

In Love Always, Caroline

Leave a comment

Posted in Climate Solutons, Getting out of denial, Healing, Liberation, Self Confidence, Self Empowerment, Songwriting, Vocal freedom

Tagged , , , ,