My latest work

I haven't blogged in a while, reason being, I've been very busy musically and so without further ado.

May I present to you, my latest album - 'A Spanner in the works'.

You can have a listen here.

https://soundcloud.com/cescoemmanuel/sets/a-spanner-in-the-works-1

I hope you will like my music and share it around, feel free sign up for my mailing list at www.cescoemmanuelmusic.com. That way you can find out about new music and any shows directly from me, you'll get the scoop before the rest of the world does.

I've been working really hard on finishing this album, it's a culmination of five years of recording and 'stockpiling' for want of a better word, ideas I had for a long while. Some songs are older than that, like 'The Battle Within' is an old Brothers Grimm song, one of the first ones I ever wrote, back in 1992.

'The Illusion of a dream' is a solo acoustic song that I wrote back in 1996, it's being performed in a band format for the first time on this record , so it's good to go back to old material sometimes and see what kind of new feel can be given to it.

It always amazes me how a song takes on a life of its' own. My music can be a bit quirky and unusual at times, but it's totally me and how I write. I guess every musician/singer/songwriter/composer has their own unique way of doing things and it comes out in the songs themselves.

You may hear an influence or two in my songs, and I guess no man (or musician) is an island, we are all a product of our listening environment.

So, my dear friend and listener, I do hope you will like my new album and that would sing up for my mailing list to get all the latest news from me.

Till then, happy listening.

Zeal

How do you keep the zeal going?

How do you keep positive when there's no guarantee?

How do you keep busy, focusing on your dreams?

How do you avoid burnout?

Well, it might help to set-up a timetable, open to revisions of course. Set small, attainable goals, take breaks (short-ones to clear your head). Set a huge goal as well. Something to look forward to.

Revise your goals, talk to friends about your dreams. Talk to other people in the 'industry'.

Get enough rest.

Sleep 8 hours.

Exercise.

Every year, take a vacation away from your work.

Plan for the next year. Do a long, medium and short term plan.

Every day, do a little something for your dream.

And always hope for the best.

Yes, hope for the best.

Yes

It is hard to say 'no' to someone. We're all guilty of that.

But it's harder to say 'yes' to our dreams. It's harder to set time aside to do something for yourself. It's easier to kill out ourselves for someone else.

it's very easy to put off for tomorrow our dreams, it's a trap that can take years to get out of, if ever at all.

Sometimes we stop doing what we normally do, 'take a break' and next thing you know, decades have gone by and we didn't pick it back up.

Life has a way of filling the void with other things to keep us busy. That's the trap right there.

It's ok to say 'no' to something we don't want to do, as long as it means that we're saying 'yes' to ourselves and our goals and dreams.

Here's a new goal - saying 'Yes' to you.

xerophytic - able to withstand drought

This of course, was the hardest letter to write for, that is until I found a new word.

Right now, Trinidad is in a drought, California is in drought, many parts of the world are without water.

Water.

Such an essential element that we all need.

There's all sort of the doomsday predictions about global warming, climate change and our loss of water.

It's enough to make anyone scream and faint.

But I believe we can turn things around. If we work really hard at it.

I believe in our ability to solve our own mess, we created it, there must be a way to solve it.

I believe.

I hope.

I believe in conservation, in recycling, in reducing our waste and our carbon footprint.

I believe in being a responsible citizen of the world.

We just need to be a little considerate and not waste water as if we have it in abundance.

That's a first step, and a rather huge step if you think about it.

Conserve and preserve.

Will and way

I wonder if there's a handbook on how to pace yourself when you are working on something.

Should you kill out yourself till you arrive at your destination? Should you take small steps? Should you try only ten times and then stop after? Should you try twenty times?

Should you plan for two years, try for another five? Or should you do the reverse? Should you keep on planning and trying?

Should you seek advice or just go alone?

Is there one way? Or is it just one will? How many ways are there? Can you go it on just your will alone? Can you borrow someone else's will?

There's so many questions when you embark on your own journey, trying to do your own thing, your own business, be your own boss. How do you keep motivating yourself when there's no end in sight?

There's so many traps and missteps. There's so many things that are not certain. It makes even trying seem so daunting.

But just think. If no one ever tried and kept trying when things fell apart, then we would have no one to admire.

And wouldn't that be boring?

Maybe, in some years to come, people will talk about you and the risks you took, the barriers you broke down, and the standards you set.

Maybe.

Maybe they will.

Wouldn't that be something?

Veritas

The truth.

Is not always easy to hear. Sometimes we can miss it and the darn thing was right under our noses. Most times it's unpleasant, sometimes it's reassuring, but seldom is it ever wrong.

But acceptance of the truth is liberation. Once we are willing to deal with it and acknowledge our part in it.

There is no escaping the truth.

Everyone might have their own opinion of you and people might think all sort of things about you, but only you can speak your truth for yourself.

And your truth is your only hope for a fulfilled, happy, content life.

Being honest about what you want is your first step to happiness.

Some people may leave, but others may stay after you speak your truth. Family, friends, colleagues.

And that's ok.

It's all ok.

Your truth is yours and yours alone.

Un-usually

What is the normal thing to do when someone pays you a compliment? - knock it down right?

What do you say when you talk about yourself? Negative things I'm sure.

Why are we always so hard on ourselves? It's almost as if we feel guilty for feeling good about ourselves, either that or we're so pre-programmed to think that we will always be mediocre that we've come to accept that as gospel. We assume that we'll never amount to anything. That greatness is really meant for the other guy.

Would it be that bad to think the best of ourselves and when someone pays us a compliment, we just say nothing more than 'Gee, Thanks.'

How hard would that be?

To do the un-usual thing.