tag:suesummersmusic.com,2005:/blogs/news?p=29News2024-01-25T14:46:25+08:00Sue Summersfalsetag:suesummersmusic.com,2005:Post/73397952024-01-25T14:46:25+08:002024-01-25T14:46:25+08:00Happy 2024! Where to next? 3 January subscriber email update<h2><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/106581/25e3aad6d0514a3efd967318a1a487680d86fca8/original/img-3825.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" /></h2><h2> </h2><h2>Happy 2024! </h2><h3> </h3><h3>Where to next?</h3><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);border-width:0px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-feature-settings:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-optical-sizing:inherit;font-size:16px;font-stretch:inherit;font-style:normal;font-variant-alternates:inherit;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-east-asian:inherit;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:inherit;font-variant-position:inherit;font-variation-settings:inherit;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:-webkit-left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;" data-pm-slice="1 1 []" data-en-clipboard="true" aria-hidden="true"> </div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);border-width:0px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-feature-settings:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-optical-sizing:inherit;font-size:16px;font-stretch:inherit;font-style:normal;font-variant-alternates:inherit;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-east-asian:inherit;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:inherit;font-variant-position:inherit;font-variation-settings:inherit;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:-webkit-left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;" data-pm-slice="1 1 []" data-en-clipboard="true">Just before Christmas a group of us went panning for gold in the hills of Perth, Western Australia. We found two tiny specks of gold. I have ten times more gold in one thin necklace at home. It felt like a pointless trip in some ways. Yet, we were out, free to come and go and enjoy nature, and connect with some of the most beautiful country, on a gorgeous, blue-sky day. The picture above was taken there, at Bells Rapids, about half an hour east of Perth city in the Perth Hills. </div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);border-width:0px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-feature-settings:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-optical-sizing:inherit;font-size:16px;font-stretch:inherit;font-style:normal;font-variant-alternates:inherit;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-east-asian:inherit;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:inherit;font-variant-position:inherit;font-variation-settings:inherit;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:-webkit-left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;" data-pm-slice="1 1 []" data-en-clipboard="true" aria-hidden="true"> </div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);border-width:0px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-feature-settings:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-optical-sizing:inherit;font-size:16px;font-stretch:inherit;font-style:normal;font-variant-alternates:inherit;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-east-asian:inherit;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:inherit;font-variant-position:inherit;font-variation-settings:inherit;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:-webkit-left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;" data-pm-slice="1 1 []" data-en-clipboard="true">I love my life. It's not perfect. I don't live in a mansion in an idyllic natural paradise, getting fresh organic fruit served to me by my staff for breakfast with handmade yoghurt and honey from my own lovingly raised bees, while my music team help me craft my next hit while I eat. But it's good. I live in a nice home in a lovely city in a free country, and enjoy my work that pays my bills and helps me have food to eat etc. And yeah, I don't have handfuls of gold nuggets to help set me up for life so I don't ever have to worry about money again, but I truly have a rich life in many ways, as demonstrated in the above little prospecting story. But there are few times like the start of a new year to make you wonder: how can life be even better?</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);border-width:0px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-feature-settings:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-optical-sizing:inherit;font-size:16px;font-stretch:inherit;font-style:normal;font-variant-alternates:inherit;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-east-asian:inherit;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:inherit;font-variant-position:inherit;font-variation-settings:inherit;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:-webkit-left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;">Like most folks probably do, I've been pondering where I'm going and what I'll do in 2024. My career choices over the past decade may look random to the casual onlooker...</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);border-width:0px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-feature-settings:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-optical-sizing:inherit;font-size:16px;font-stretch:inherit;font-style:normal;font-variant-alternates:inherit;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-east-asian:inherit;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:inherit;font-variant-position:inherit;font-variation-settings:inherit;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:-webkit-left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;" aria-hidden="true"> </div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);border-width:0px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-feature-settings:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-optical-sizing:inherit;font-size:16px;font-stretch:inherit;font-style:normal;font-variant-alternates:inherit;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-east-asian:inherit;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:inherit;font-variant-position:inherit;font-variation-settings:inherit;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:-webkit-left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;">2013-2022: work as a live musician for my main income after quitting working in broadcast media services and sales</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);border-width:0px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-feature-settings:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-optical-sizing:inherit;font-size:16px;font-stretch:inherit;font-style:normal;font-variant-alternates:inherit;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-east-asian:inherit;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:inherit;font-variant-position:inherit;font-variation-settings:inherit;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:-webkit-left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;">2018-2021: study and complete a Bachelor of Creative Media (Sound)</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);border-width:0px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-feature-settings:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-optical-sizing:inherit;font-size:16px;font-stretch:inherit;font-style:normal;font-variant-alternates:inherit;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-east-asian:inherit;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:inherit;font-variant-position:inherit;font-variation-settings:inherit;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:-webkit-left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;">2022-mid-2023: quit working as a live musician and take up work as an Employment coordinator in disability</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);border-width:0px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-feature-settings:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-optical-sizing:inherit;font-size:16px;font-stretch:inherit;font-style:normal;font-variant-alternates:inherit;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-east-asian:inherit;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:inherit;font-variant-position:inherit;font-variation-settings:inherit;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:-webkit-left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;">mid-2023: quit working in disability to go back to working as a live musician for my main income</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);border-width:0px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-feature-settings:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-optical-sizing:inherit;font-size:16px;font-stretch:inherit;font-style:normal;font-variant-alternates:inherit;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-east-asian:inherit;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:inherit;font-variant-position:inherit;font-variation-settings:inherit;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:-webkit-left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;" aria-hidden="true"> </div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);border-width:0px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-feature-settings:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-optical-sizing:inherit;font-size:16px;font-stretch:inherit;font-style:normal;font-variant-alternates:inherit;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-east-asian:inherit;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:inherit;font-variant-position:inherit;font-variation-settings:inherit;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:-webkit-left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;">Looks kind of like I've come full circle and gone back to the start. In some ways, yes. But in many, no. Through that time, I've been learning more than academic studies. I've been learning how to be a human being, as you generally hope to do as you get older. And as I learn, I get better at letting go of dogmas, releasing my expectations, and stopping trying to pretend I know what I'm doing (do any of us know, for sure, what we're doing?) And I've realised that being a perfectionist is hard when you don't know what it is you're perfecting. And trying to nail that damn thing down and get on with making it perfect isn't the smart choice, it seems... So, I've come back to live music, but from a different perspective.</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);border-width:0px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-feature-settings:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-optical-sizing:inherit;font-size:16px;font-stretch:inherit;font-style:normal;font-variant-alternates:inherit;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-east-asian:inherit;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:inherit;font-variant-position:inherit;font-variation-settings:inherit;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:-webkit-left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;" aria-hidden="true"> </div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);border-width:0px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-feature-settings:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-optical-sizing:inherit;font-size:16px;font-stretch:inherit;font-style:normal;font-variant-alternates:inherit;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-east-asian:inherit;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:inherit;font-variant-position:inherit;font-variation-settings:inherit;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:-webkit-left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;">Thus, my hope for 2024 is to continue and improve at this 'being' business, with bent towards staying relaxed and keeping it loose. That is, taking my life less seriously, following what brings me joy, and sharing joy with others. Being not only OK, but happy about making mistakes cos they only help bring true improvement. And being at least a <i>little </i>less attached to certain outcomes in my life, instead of my old paradigm of "I. Will. Never. Be. Attached. To. Anything. Ever. Again," also formerly applicable to anything I tried to improve at.</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);border-width:0px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-feature-settings:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-optical-sizing:inherit;font-size:16px;font-stretch:inherit;font-style:normal;font-variant-alternates:inherit;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-east-asian:inherit;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:inherit;font-variant-position:inherit;font-variation-settings:inherit;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:-webkit-left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;" aria-hidden="true"> </div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);border-width:0px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-feature-settings:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-optical-sizing:inherit;font-size:16px;font-stretch:inherit;font-style:normal;font-variant-alternates:inherit;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-east-asian:inherit;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:inherit;font-variant-position:inherit;font-variation-settings:inherit;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:-webkit-left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;">Career wise, my intentions for 2024 include releasing some singles, maybe an EP or album, and a podcast. I have a couple of songs mastered and ready for release, and I'm working on a video for the first. More gigs, with fresh promotional material in the works to help that along. I'll have an update on my music plans in February. Til then, some time out...</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);border-width:0px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-feature-settings:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-optical-sizing:inherit;font-size:16px;font-stretch:inherit;font-style:normal;font-variant-alternates:inherit;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-east-asian:inherit;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:inherit;font-variant-position:inherit;font-variation-settings:inherit;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:-webkit-left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;">I'm off on a 10-day silent retreat today. It seems like a good way to start my year off and to consolidate some longer-term practices that have helped me 'calm my farm' and be happier and more relaxed. So for the next week and a half, I'll be offline. If you don't hear from me in the first half of January, please bear with me - I'll get back to you on my return.</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);border-width:0px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-feature-settings:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-optical-sizing:inherit;font-size:16px;font-stretch:inherit;font-style:normal;font-variant-alternates:inherit;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-east-asian:inherit;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:inherit;font-variant-position:inherit;font-variation-settings:inherit;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:-webkit-left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;" aria-hidden="true"> </div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);border-width:0px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-feature-settings:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-optical-sizing:inherit;font-size:16px;font-stretch:inherit;font-style:normal;font-variant-alternates:inherit;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-east-asian:inherit;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:inherit;font-variant-position:inherit;font-variation-settings:inherit;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:-webkit-left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;">I wish for you all a solid and successful year ahead for whatever it is that you need at this point in your life. May 2024 bring you all peace and happiness.<br> </div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);border-width:0px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-feature-settings:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-optical-sizing:inherit;font-size:16px;font-stretch:inherit;font-style:normal;font-variant-alternates:inherit;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-east-asian:inherit;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:inherit;font-variant-position:inherit;font-variation-settings:inherit;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:-webkit-left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;">Best wishes,</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);border-width:0px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-feature-settings:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-optical-sizing:inherit;font-size:16px;font-stretch:inherit;font-style:normal;font-variant-alternates:inherit;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-east-asian:inherit;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:inherit;font-variant-position:inherit;font-variation-settings:inherit;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:-webkit-left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;">Sue</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);border-width:0px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-feature-settings:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-optical-sizing:inherit;font-size:16px;font-stretch:inherit;font-style:normal;font-variant-alternates:inherit;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-east-asian:inherit;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:inherit;font-variant-position:inherit;font-variation-settings:inherit;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:-webkit-left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;" aria-hidden="true"> </div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);border-width:0px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-feature-settings:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-optical-sizing:inherit;font-size:16px;font-stretch:inherit;font-style:normal;font-variant-alternates:inherit;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-east-asian:inherit;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:inherit;font-variant-position:inherit;font-variation-settings:inherit;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:-webkit-left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;" aria-hidden="true"> </div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);border-width:0px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-feature-settings:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-optical-sizing:inherit;font-size:16px;font-stretch:inherit;font-style:normal;font-variant-alternates:inherit;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-east-asian:inherit;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:inherit;font-variant-position:inherit;font-variation-settings:inherit;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:-webkit-left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;" aria-hidden="true">
<i>The above article is a reproduction of the Sue Summers Music email subscribers email update from 3 Jan 2024. If you'd like to get Sue's news first, subscribe at </i><a class="no-pjax" href="https://suesummersmusic.com/."><i>https://suesummersmusic.com/.</i></a><i> </i>
</div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);border-width:0px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-feature-settings:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-optical-sizing:inherit;font-size:16px;font-stretch:inherit;font-style:normal;font-variant-alternates:inherit;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-east-asian:inherit;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:inherit;font-variant-position:inherit;font-variation-settings:inherit;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:-webkit-left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;" aria-hidden="true"> </div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);border-width:0px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-feature-settings:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-optical-sizing:inherit;font-size:16px;font-stretch:inherit;font-style:normal;font-variant-alternates:inherit;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-east-asian:inherit;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:inherit;font-variant-position:inherit;font-variation-settings:inherit;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:-webkit-left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;" aria-hidden="true"> </div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);border-width:0px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-feature-settings:inherit;font-kerning:inherit;font-optical-sizing:inherit;font-size:16px;font-stretch:inherit;font-style:normal;font-variant-alternates:inherit;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-east-asian:inherit;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-numeric:inherit;font-variant-position:inherit;font-variation-settings:inherit;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:inherit;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:-webkit-left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;" aria-hidden="true"> </div><h3><i>Sue Summers Music </i></h3><h4>suesummersmusic.com</h4><h4>facebook.com/suesummersmusic</h4><h4>instagram.com/suelilysummers</h4>Sue Summerstag:suesummersmusic.com,2005:Post/70860282022-10-22T00:33:50+08:002023-10-19T03:26:37+08:00The bug, the bachelor, a career change and the Aussie coat of arms <p>Well, it's been an interesting time, to say the least! That's as far as I'm going to go to try and sum up a world pandemic... For me, it's been challenging, but I'm grateful to have much in the way of support and resources. Thanks to the Australian government's Jobkeeper scheme I was able to pay the rent and continue studying through 2020, and I finally graduated in 2021 with a Bachelor of Creative Media with a major in Sound and minor in Radio. This year I quit regular live music gigs in favour of a day job, and ended up doing incredibly rewarding work with people with disabilities. And after several years of no travel, I found myself travelling to eastern Australia twice, and to Croatia to play in disc golf tournaments. Original music took a bit of a back seat in some ways between my degree, the pandemic, work and volunteering, and training and playing for Australia in disc golf.<br><br>My disability coordinator role finished in September, and now I spend my days doing casual disability employment work, volunteering as a disc golf administrator, playing disc golf, and decluttering my house and life after a very busy few years.</p>
<p>Original music wise, I have a number of songs that are in various stages of completion which I aim to release in some kind of regular order soon, starting in a month or two. I'll be in touch. :) </p>
<p>Sue x</p>
<p> </p>
<p><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/106581/46f69719c0b5067035856f98e8663f424d5a5802/original/adgt-croatia-sue-summers.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>Sue Summerstag:suesummersmusic.com,2005:Post/57957202019-06-19T01:53:11+08:002019-06-19T01:53:11+08:00This creative life!<p>The creative life is certainly challenging. There are doubts, self-sabotage, perfectionism. But there's also joy, beauty, and deep personal satisfaction. The road might be short and easy for some, but probably long and winding for more. My hand is up for category two! But I believe the personal investment of time, hard work, and personal development is worth it in the long run. Are you with me? </p>
<p>News of my creative endeavours thus far to come soon. Stay tuned. :) </p>Sue Summerstag:suesummersmusic.com,2005:Post/44262892016-10-19T23:44:31+08:002023-10-19T03:26:37+08:00New gigs!<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/106581/9c1075a5b4a23b6dfab0922c17e9244a81fbaa84/medium/sue-at-bolt-garden-solo-2016.jpg?1476891247" class="size_m justify_right border_" /><br>Hey, friends. I've just posted up a whole bootload of <a contents="new gigs" data-link-label="GIGS" data-link-type="page" href="http://suesummersmusic.com/gigs" target="_blank">new gigs</a>. I'm now playing north, south, AND east of Perth city, so I can't be accused of being a northie or southie favouritising muso only ;)<br><br>South of Perth, you can find me playing gigs at <a contents="Legends Bar" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.legendsbarandbottleshop.com.au/" target="_blank">Legends Bar</a>, Attadale (regular Fridays and Saturdays), and the <a contents="Pink Duck Beach Bar" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.pinkduck.net.au/" target="_blank">Pink Duck Beach Bar</a>, Rockingham (occasional Sundays).<br><br>North, I'm playing some regular spots at British-themed pub the <a contents="Woodvale" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://thewoodvale.com.au/tavern/" target="_blank">Woodvale</a>.<br><br>East, you can find me in the Swan Valley WINE region (yay!) at <a contents="Swanbrook Wines" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/Swanbrookwinerycafe/" target="_blank">Swanbrook Wines</a>, Henley Brook, and at <a contents="Bolt Coffee Roasters" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.boltcoffee.com.au/shady-business-espresso-drive-in.html" target="_blank">Bolt Coffee Roasters</a> behind Men of the Trees, Hazelmere (pictured right).<br><br>BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!!!! YES....a set of steak knives :D No, not really. I can't back that up...<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/106581/24bdd412ae780a279701bd6e55b42c6da9f570b7/medium/sue-and-honey-bs-leederville-concert-2016.jpg?1476891254" class="size_m justify_left border_" /></p>I can bring you a set of bees, though! Honey B's, to be exact. I have joined the lovely four-part vocal group <a contents="The Honey B's" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/The-Honey-Bs-Perth-1188360544523931/" target="_blank">The Honey B's</a> (pictured left) and am singing with them at a variety of retirement villages and nursing homes around Perth. Many of you know of my interest in music therapy. With the HB girls, I get to indulge my love of harmonies, my enjoyment of classic old tunes, and the satisfaction of seeing happy and lit-up faces in the audiences we sing for. We also have performances at markets, festivals and concerts lined up, so head to our Facebook page for the latest buzz on the Honey B's. :)<br><br><br><br>I hope to see you sometime soon at a gig near you! :)<br><br>Keep loving your music <3<br><br>Sue xxSue Summerstag:suesummersmusic.com,2005:Post/41375302016-04-15T14:22:36+08:002017-01-10T21:08:06+08:00You say you want a revolution? (Day 7, LYL blog challenge)<p>“What revolution will you lead?” Oy, this is a tough one. As I read this question, I immediately begin to metaphorically shrink into a corner, as I did as a younger person whenever I was addressed in a group. Er, who, me? You’re asking me?! Um…I probably won’t start one, really…</p>
<p>I’ve never planned or desired to lead a revolution. Though it’s true, there are things I’m not happy about in this world, that I’d change if I could. And I know there have been some marvellous industry revolutions led by musicians in the past. So perhaps I can indulge my imagination to answer this question.</p>
<p>If I were to lead a revolution, it might be to tackle a couple of things that strike me as needing change in the music industry today:</p>
<ol>
<li>the increasingly low income available to original music artists for their works, due to the digital revolution and a smaller and smaller piece of the pie going to artists</li>
<li>the perception by musicians that they can’t make a living from their music (true in part due to point 1)</li>
</ol>
<p>As I still have much I can do and grow in music and the business of music, many of the obstacles that lay ahead of me are ones I see myself able to overcome, and it’s just a matter of time, devlopment and growth. But the above points, I see as potentially worthy of the attention of a revolution, as they are current roadblocks to many musicians wanting to make a living out of their abilities.</p>
<p>But revolutions aside, I’ll be happy just to keep learning how to make music and develop my skills and my art for now.</p>
<figure data-shortcode="caption" id="attachment_225" style="width: 900px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img src="https://musicwordsart.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/planet-wee-san-diego-california-by-night-nikki-smith.jpg?w=604" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="planet-wee-san-diego-california-by-night-nikki-smith" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">‘Wee San Diego’ by Nikki Marie Smith looks to me like the world revolving around a compact disc. </figcaption></figure>
<p><a href="http://fineartamerica.com/featured/planet-wee-san-diego-california-by-night-nikki-smith.html" rel="nofollow">http://fineartamerica.com/featured/planet-wee-san-diego-california-by-night-nikki-smith.html</a></p><br> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/gocomments/musicwordsart.wordpress.com/193/"><img src="//feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/comments/musicwordsart.wordpress.com/193/" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" /></a> <img src="https://pixel.wp.com/b.gif?host=musicwordsart.com&blog=58417823&post=193&subd=musicwordsart&ref=&feed=1" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="1" width="1" />Sue Summerstag:suesummersmusic.com,2005:Post/41360322016-04-14T22:54:28+08:002017-01-10T21:08:06+08:00What difference do I want to make? (Day 6, LYL blog challenge)<h3><b>What difference do I want to make?</b></h3>
<div></div>
<div><span style="color:#222222;font-family:Helvetica;">That’s a question that I find both easy and difficult at the same time. I’m not sure I’m going to be able to answer it in a way that’s completely satisfactory to me. I touched on it in my previous blog, covering my elevator pitch. My elevator pitch tells people that I aim to make a difference with my music, by taking them to a higher place, and better place. But…that’s not very unique, is it? That’s my first thought. My second thought is, does it need to be? Well, I kind of think it does. If I’m going to offer something in what I say, that people won’t get anywhere else, that is. </span></div>
<div></div>
<div><span style="color:#222222;font-family:Helvetica;">The self-effacing side of me says that the statement “They won’t get me anywhere else” just doesn’t cut it. An in and of itself, that statement is true, in my opinion. It’s not enough. On the other hand, it depends on who I am and exactly what I do, doesn’t it? If I think of some other people in history who also called themselves ‘me’, like Nikola Tesla, Terry Pratchett, or Marie Curie, well, then we’re talking about some pretty significant ‘me’s, aren’t we? Amazing, inventive and ridiculously smart and cool people who made something truly special and wonderful out of the word ‘me’. And in the world of music, my field of work, what about Brian Wilson, Nina Simone, Lucinda Williams, Stevie Nicks? There are some pretty amazing folks there who also call themselves ‘me’. So, really, at the end of the day, all you need to do, is be someone super freaking amazing. O-K…maybe way out of my reach. Going to a local, more accessible scale, how about, just being the most awesome version of ‘me’ that I can be, making the most of my time, skills and talents, and producing work that’s the best I can produce given all that. I guess then, if you also want to have a successful blog in terms of making a living out if it, then you also need to write stuff that encapsulates your ‘freaking amazing me’ status, while also (according to Scott Dinsmore’s 4 Pillars to Starting a Blog that Really Matters) doing the following:</span></div>
<ol>
<li>Having a cause worth following</li>
<li>Helping people</li>
<li>Producing mind-blowing content</li>
<li>Making real connections</li>
</ol>
<div>
<span style="color:#222222;font-family:Helvetica;">So in conclusion, if I think about the difference I want to make in terms of the above four points, and in light of the people I look up to</span> <span style="color:#222222;font-family:Helvetica;">and want to follow in the footsteps of (in my own small way),</span> <span style="color:#222222;font-family:Helvetica;">i.e. singular and brilliant musicians and songsmiths such as I’ve listed above, then I’d put it like this: the difference I want to make is to move, touche and help people with the music I create, and to make a connection with those people, through my music and through speaking to and with them. How that happens will, I think, become evident over time. </span>
</div>
<div></div>
<div>
<figure data-shortcode="caption" id="attachment_180" style="width: 235px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img src="https://musicwordsart.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/img_2625.jpg?w=225&h=300" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="IMG_2625" height="300" width="225" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">‘Driving the desk’ at my music production course</figcaption></figure>
</div><br> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/gocomments/musicwordsart.wordpress.com/176/"><img src="//feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/comments/musicwordsart.wordpress.com/176/" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" /></a> <img src="https://pixel.wp.com/b.gif?host=musicwordsart.com&blog=58417823&post=176&subd=musicwordsart&ref=&feed=1" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="1" width="1" />Sue Summerstag:suesummersmusic.com,2005:Post/41337942016-04-13T15:11:40+08:002017-01-10T21:08:05+08:00My elevator pitch (for LYL blog challenge)<p>Today’s blog challenge from <a href="http://liveyourlegend.net/" target="_blank">Live Your Legend</a> was to write your elevator pitch. I have to admit the mess of apologetic words I currently blurt out when people ask what I do, is indeed in dire need of a fix-up. So, let’s do this…</p>
<p>I’ll try not to ramble, but as my answer to the blog challenge I’ve chosen to write out the creative process I took (don’t worry – it’s not too long). Firstly, I’m going to include a snippet of the challenge by LYL, so you can see what points I’ve addressed:</p>
<div>
<blockquote>
<h3>1. Create a minimal viable pitch.</h3>
<p>Don’t over-think this. For starters, we want to have an interesting response to the “what do you do” question. You could write and rewrite your pitch until your pen runs dry, but it’s next to useless until you get it out in front of someone. All you need is enough to test. Ideally, have a few versions ready to go.</p>
<p><strong>Your pitch (and follow-up discussion) should answer some or all of the below:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>What am I excited about?</li>
<li>Why am I excited about it?</li>
<li>How will it help people? Who does it serve?</li>
<li>How does it uniquely tie into my story, passions, talents and/or experience?</li>
<li>Why do I care and why should the world care? (Watch <a href="http://liveyourlegend.net/simon-sinek-start-with-why-interview/" target="_blank">my interview with Simon Sinek</a> for a review on the importance of Starting With Why.)</li>
</ul>
<p>The real goal of our pitch is to talk about something you’re excited about and get a feel for how others react to it.</p>
</blockquote>
</div>
<div>
<div></div>
<div></div>
<div></div>
<div></div>
<div>
<div>OK. So, what do I do? Let’s address the above points…</div>
</div>
<ul>
<li>What am I excited about? Creating musical compositions, peforming music, taking people to another place with my music, and helping them transcend the state they’re in, and feel better. <em>I help people get high? Haha Or, I help people get lost in the moment?</em>
</li>
<li>Why? Well, I’m excited about it because it uses (to me) my best and most precious talents; the thing I get the most enjoyment out of, and long to do the most with my life. So therefore I transcend with them. In fact, it’s only through my enjoying and blissing out that I help others do the same.</li>
<li>How? And for who? It helps people to forget their worries, it helps their brains to feel good (improving neural connectivity and even helping their mental and sometimes physical health). It serves people who come to my gigs, or listen to my recorded music.</li>
<li>It ties in to me? Music is something I’ve always loved to listen to, but took a while to get to do for others. I love to sing, and I love the feeling singing gives me. I enjoy creating music, and there’s a lot of music in my head that I’d like to get out. I’m learning how to do that better now, studying music production.</li>
<li>Why do I care? I care because I feel music is one of the most powerful tools we have to bring about positive change. In people – their lives, their health, their mental states; in communities, and in the world – dealing with today’s societal and environmental problems.</li>
</ul>
<div></div>
<div>So, my pitch will <a href="http://liveyourlegend.net/creating-your-elevator-pitch/" target="_blank">start out</a> something like this:</div>
<h4><i><b>What do you do?</b></i></h4>
<div>I help people to get high, to get lost in the moment, and to come out the other side of that moment feeling better than when they entered it. I’m a music creator and performer. I believe music is one of the most powerful ways to help and heal people. I aim to do that through my live music performances, and through my music creations.</div>
<div></div>
<div></div>
<h6>What do you think?</h6>
</div>
<h6></h6>
<p><img src="https://musicwordsart.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/jpeg-image-17493cf11f1f-1.jpeg?w=604" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="JPEG image-17493CF11F1F-1.jpeg" /></p><br> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/gocomments/musicwordsart.wordpress.com/137/"><img src="//feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/comments/musicwordsart.wordpress.com/137/" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" /></a> <img src="https://pixel.wp.com/b.gif?host=musicwordsart.com&blog=58417823&post=137&subd=musicwordsart&ref=&feed=1" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="1" width="1" />Sue Summerstag:suesummersmusic.com,2005:Post/41319522016-04-12T14:50:32+08:002016-04-12T14:50:32+08:00New blog 'music words art'Hey, folks. As promised I've just posted my new blog, music words art, on my <a contents="blog" data-link-label="BLOG" data-link-type="page" href="/blog" target="_blank">blog</a> page. If you head there and have a look you'll notice an uncharacteristically productive rash of words, in the form of four new blog posts. The happy 'rash' was caused by a blog challenged I've just signed up for, with <a contents="Live Your Legend" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://liveyourlegend.net/" target="_blank">Live Your Legend</a>, an organisation that started from a blog I once found particularly helpful in my music career. Check out the blog to find out how. Hope you enjoy reading - feedback and thoughts are warmly welcomed! <br><br>Cheers,<br>Sue Sue Summerstag:suesummersmusic.com,2005:Post/41319062016-04-12T13:25:37+08:002016-04-12T13:25:37+08:00New Wordpress blogHey, folks! I've just started a new blog on Wordpress. I'll be posting it here shortly. Stay tuned if you'd like to check it out. :)Sue Summerstag:suesummersmusic.com,2005:Post/41319412016-04-12T13:10:33+08:002017-01-10T21:08:05+08:00What’s one thing I’m proud of? (LYL blog challenge)<p>The Live Your Legend writing prompt today asked me to think about something I’ve done and accomplished; something I’m proud of. I’ve got to admit, for the first time in this blog challenge, I slipped back into over-prepare mode: an old habit that has held me back from getting things done in the past. The self-critic in me leapt into action (inaction?) with a “You haven’t done anything really that deserves writing about.” I responded with a formerly characteristic knee-jerk reaction, and off I went trawling through my Facebook posts from years ago, my old emails, Google, whatever: in search of the ‘golden achievement’.</p>
<p>Down the rabbit hole I went. Down the drainhole went my valuable minutes, and subsequently, nearly a couple of hours (good thing I started this challenge on my study break!). Then I made a bright decision: “Hmm, maybe I should reread the LYL Day 4 challenge.” “Yeah, maybe you should, genius!” said my inner Genius.<img src="https://s1.wp.com/wp-content/mu-plugins/wpcom-smileys/simple-smile.svg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt=":)" height="16" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" width="16" /></p>
<p>I read through the three inspiring case studies of Scott, Mike and Leo, and the words of encouragement by the LYL team. I was reminded again of what was important about the challenge: take the first step, and then take another, and so on. And so here I am, now actually writing something. The other words in there that helped me particularly were, “The point is giving yourself the chance to welcome the serendipity.” Ha. BOOM! What was I doing wrong? Well, if you consider Merriam-Webster’s suggestion that ‘serendipity’ is ‘luck that takes the form of finding valuable or pleasant things that are not looked for’, I was not giving myself that chance at all with my panicked search for valuable things in my emails and Facebook feed.</p>
<p>The thing is, my best achievements came from the aforementioned ‘taking one step, then another, and so on’. And the achievement I choose, is my becoming a respected local live musician for a living. Yeah, I am proud of that. Proud that despite the fact I left starting that journey a couple of decades longer than I ideally might have, at least I did start taking the steps to turn a love of music and a knowing that I had something to offer, into a career.</p>
<p>Those steps that I’d call action and not just ‘overpreparation’? Well, it’d have to be when I first answered an advertisement to join a band at the age of 31. At the time, despite having taken sporadic singing lessons for years, I had very rudimentary musical skills. Over the next few years I kept learning and developing my voice. I began actually doing the consistent work I needed to do to grow with a goal in mind: to be a professional musician. Before long, in addition to singing I picked up the guitar and began building on what was a very basic and unmusical palette of skills acquired to date. I learned how to build a set list, how to operate a small P.A., how to arrange songs, guitar maintenance, working with others, learning about the history of popular music. As we began to get gigs after a couple of years, I started learning how not to be petrified with fear onstage, and to move ahead to learning how to read audiences and entertain them with songs that were right for the moment.</p>
<p>I went on to work with different musicians, and got to the point myself where I could ably provide sole musical accompaniment for other singers or just myself. I picked up regular work thanks to my friendships and connections with other musos, venue managers, and local venue agents. By 2012, I was working reasonably regular gigs, and I had a great part-time job as a local sales and customer representative for a wonderful Australian company run by people I respected and admired.</p>
<p>However I was restless. I felt something needed to change, but didn’t know what or why. Then in November 2012, I stumbled upon a blog with something in it that spoke to me: the ‘Should I Quit test’. To cut an already long-winded story, by December, I had quit, and became a full-time musician. To me, that was a ‘wow’ moment in my life, and one I’d given up on ever happening years before.</p>
<p>So I am proud of this achievement in my life. I also know only too well it came with the support and encouragement of many people in my life, including my husband, my mum, my work colleagues at the time, and my music colleagues and clients, and also a stranger: one I’d only met through his words in an email mail-out, Scott Dinsmore. But I also know my achievement came from that definitive decision to ignore my fears saying “stop”, and instead, to start.</p>
<p>I’m excited to see what other achievements the universe has in store.<img src="https://s1.wp.com/wp-content/mu-plugins/wpcom-smileys/simple-smile.svg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt=":)" height="16" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" width="16" /></p>
<p><img src="https://musicwordsart.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/national-solo-oct-2015_3.jpg?w=604" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="National solo Oct 2015_3" /></p>
<p> </p><br> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/gocomments/musicwordsart.wordpress.com/40/"><img src="//feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/comments/musicwordsart.wordpress.com/40/" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" /></a> <img src="https://pixel.wp.com/b.gif?host=musicwordsart.wordpress.com&blog=58417823&post=40&subd=musicwordsart&ref=&feed=1" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="1" width="1" />Sue Summerstag:suesummersmusic.com,2005:Post/41319422016-04-11T19:37:18+08:002017-01-10T21:08:05+08:00What do people thank me for? (LYL blog challenge)<p>A couple of years ago I decided to create a special note in Evernote: a reminder note. I called the note ‘Mindf%@! Aversion Strategy’ (or MFAS for short). An interesting title, yes? Well, it came about as my eventual response to that ‘enjoyable’ phenomenon I can probably safely say we all go through: self-loathing. Regularly through my life I’ve had doubts, and consistently through my life they’ve stopped me from following my dreams.</p>
<p>When I was 10, and I loved listening to and singing along to my favourite albums, I was so shy that I felt I surely didn’t have any place in the world of my music idols – amazing artists like ABBA, KISS, the Bee Gees, and whoever had made it to radio airplay at the time. At 16, I still kept my singing to my room, and was still way too afraid to take it outside that room. At 20 I restricted my singing to a group, and slipped into the sheltered safety of a choir: my music dreams partly met, I was able to muffle that inner voice. At 30, I finally decided to work on playing music for a living. It would take years before I felt that I was actually giving something of value to people. I finally got to a point where I thought, “Yes, now I deserve to be on this platform, playing music for actual, physical people.” Only with that mindset could I – someone who for all of my teens and twenties loathed being in a spotlight of just 3-4 people in a group conversation – come to a point of being happy and even enjoying playing music solo to a room full of expectant people, and for a venue manager expecting quality music for their spend. Several years into this business, however, there were many times I still couldn’t believe it. So I created the MFAS.</p>
<p>Along with my dear husband, the MFAS is where I go when I’m not sure, or I’ve forgotten, or even worse, I’ve lost belief in the premise that I was born to be a music artist. In it, I write the nice things people have said to me about my music. Things like thanks for making them feel good, for helping them through feelings of darkness, for giving them a buzz, or purely appreciation of my singing and playing. Conversations, emails, passing comments: I jot down the ones that make me feel that warm fuzzy feeling, and keep them in my MFAS. Then anytime I’m on the verge of a crisis of confidence (aka a ‘mindf#@%’ as my other half calls them) I open up the note, and read the nice things. And the nice things people have said remind me not to leave this track, but instead to forge on ahead in full confidence that music is the thing I do that fans a spark and ignites a flame in others. Fortunately, as time passes and my confidence and belief solidifies, I find the need to look at the MFAS less. But I know in times of growth – such as now, with blogging – doubts can return, and I’ll be using it if need be. Actually, I think I might start a section for ‘Blogging’ in it…</p>
<p>I encourage anyone who has felt the same doubts to start your own Mindf%@! Aversion Strategy, or whatever you want to call it. Even if you’re a stable kind of person, the nice things people have said about you are so good to read back over, and well worth keeping somewhere.<img src="https://s1.wp.com/wp-content/mu-plugins/wpcom-smileys/simple-smile.svg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt=":)" height="16" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" width="16" /></p>
<p> </p>
<figure style="width: 473px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img src="https://musicwordsart.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/img_0243.jpg?w=473&h=473" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="473" width="473" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Me at 16: I sure could have used a MFAS as a teen…</figcaption></figure>
<p> </p><br> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/gocomments/musicwordsart.wordpress.com/34/"><img src="//feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/comments/musicwordsart.wordpress.com/34/" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" /></a> <img src="https://pixel.wp.com/b.gif?host=musicwordsart.wordpress.com&blog=58417823&post=34&subd=musicwordsart&ref=&feed=1" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="1" width="1" />Sue Summerstag:suesummersmusic.com,2005:Post/41319432016-04-10T00:44:10+08:002017-01-10T21:08:05+08:00What really makes me angry about the world… (for LYL challenge)<p>I probably amuse my friends no end with my penchant for ranting on Facebook about stuff I know little about, or have just seen come up on my feed. I don’t do it often, but when I see something that really irks me, I might feel the need to say something about it in a post shared to others. I know this amuses people because recently a friend mentioned it in a real-life meeting. What? I’m that angry chick who gets all red-faced and ranty on Facebook? Nawww, I’m a kind, tender-hearted person who tries to always see the best in people, OK? Well, except that ASS who got into government and used all our money on st00pid, pompous projects, or those DICKS who hurt those animals, and… Er, OK. I get the point.</p>
<p>So, now that I’m a new, non-ranty person, what does get me ‘really’ angry in this world? So much so that I might forgo my new edict to be nice and fluffy on Facebook, and return to my old ranty ways?</p>
<p>Injustice. Any place/time/occasion where people with power hurt or take advantage of people or creatures with less power. I hate that so much.</p>
<p>Why? Because it just cuts to my core. It makes me feel sad. I have been that powerless person to some extent, in some situations. Seeing it in others triggers a reaction in me, and makes me feel like I need to do something, to say something, to help in some small way.</p>
<p>And so I may have to create a separate Facebook for the ranty me.</p>
<p>Rant over.</p><br> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/gocomments/musicwordsart.wordpress.com/17/"><img src="//feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/comments/musicwordsart.wordpress.com/17/" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" /></a> <img src="https://pixel.wp.com/b.gif?host=musicwordsart.wordpress.com&blog=58417823&post=17&subd=musicwordsart&ref=&feed=1" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="1" width="1" />Sue Summerstag:suesummersmusic.com,2005:Post/41319442016-04-10T00:26:11+08:002017-01-10T21:08:05+08:00About that reluctance…<p>Well, here, finally, is my first blog post on this blog I created, oh, more than a year ago? So, why start now? I’m starting now thanks to a timely prompt by Live Your Legend, the organisation started by Scott Dinsmore to encourage people to do work they loved. And despite this being a weekend where I’m supposed to be focussing on other things, I saw the call to start a blog over 7 days, and jumped at it.</p>
<p>I’m writing this, the first blog entry, two days late. And at 20 minutes past midnight, after enjoying dinner with my husband for our anniversary, and finishing one of three Diploma of Sound Production assignments due this weekend. But despite the late hour and perhaps the inappropriate choice to do a blog post while my husband waits for me to come to bed…I am (perhaps dysfunctionally) so happy to be finally starting this, right now.</p>
<p>You see, I’m a frustrated writer. And songwriter. A frustrated writer of words in general. And in LYL’s call to start that blog finally, I felt the urgent call to jump onto the speeding train that was passing by, even though I was perfectly fine busily working on something important trackside.</p>
<p>I’m actually pretty excited about starting a blog.</p>
<p>Oh, and FYI Scott was responsible for me deciding to do music for a living full time a few years ago. I’ve never looked back. I don’t plan on doing it this time either.</p><br> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/gocomments/musicwordsart.wordpress.com/3/"><img src="//feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/comments/musicwordsart.wordpress.com/3/" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" /></a> <img src="https://pixel.wp.com/b.gif?host=musicwordsart.wordpress.com&blog=58417823&post=3&subd=musicwordsart&ref=&feed=1" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="1" width="1" />Sue Summerstag:suesummersmusic.com,2005:Post/39646522015-12-15T23:51:07+08:002015-12-15T23:51:07+08:00Comes soon, 'the' big day does...<p>So, it's nearly Christmas. Yeah, yeah. Unfortunately for Santa, another little event is stealing his jingly thunder. It's called 'Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens'.<br>
<br>
I was around when the original Star Wars movie came out - my parents took my brother and I to see it at the drive-in theatre. We were all pretty impressed, and became fans of the series, going on to watch the next two in the sequel. When 'The Empire Strikes Back' came out, I was old enough to be a proper Star Wars nerd, and around 1981 I recall sitting in our family room listening over and over to the 'Star Wars (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)'. As in so much that I could hum the whole album from Track 1, 'Main Title' to track 16, 'The Throne Room and End Title'. I can no longer do this, and I admit I did look up the names of those tracks on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_(soundtrack)#Track_listing_for_the_first_release_on_LP" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>. I am not the same 'Star Wars' nerd once was.<br>
<br>
Further evidence I am not much of a 'Star Wars' nerd anymore:</p>
<ol>
<li>Taking the family to watch on opening day....at 2:30pm not midnight</li>
<li>Prepared for the film the lazy/time-poor way: by watching one film only - episode VI ('Return of the Jedi), though had best of intentions to go through the <a href="http://www.nomachetejuggling.com/2011/11/11/the-star-wars-saga-suggested-viewing-order/" target="_blank">Machete sequence</a>
</li>
<li>Couldn't find a third 'Star Wars'-related reason - case closed!</li>
</ol>
<p>I do, however, think I can officially number myself among those who call themselves ''Star Wars' fan', after eliciting the appropriate reaction of nerdy giggles, to this cartoon:<br>
<br>
<object height="260" width="450"><param name="movie" value="http://backend.deviantart.com/embed/view.swf?1">
<param name="flashvars" value="id=277138083&width=1337">
<param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always">
<embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="260" src="http://backend.deviantart.com/embed/view.swf?1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="450"></embed></object><br>
<a href="http://deathbychiasmus.deviantart.com/art/SC-A-Star-Wars-Christmas-Comic-277138083">SC: A Star Wars Christmas Comic</a> by <a class="u regular username" href="http://deathbychiasmus.deviantart.com/">DeathbyChiasmus</a> on <a href="http://www.deviantart.com">DeviantArt</a><br>
<br>
Hahaha :P<br>
<br>
<br>
My public gigs this weekend, and Xmas Eve, here are*:<br>
<br>
Friday, 18 December 2015<br>
- from 7:30pm to 10:30pm at the Last Drop, Warnbro<br>
<br>
Saturday, 19 December 2015<br>
- in the afternoon at Bolt Coffee Christmas Party, Hazelmere<br>
<br>
Sunday, 20 December 2015<br>
- from 1:30pm to 4:30pm at 7th Ave Bar and Restaurant, Midland<br>
<br>
Thursday, 24 December 2015<br>
- from 4:30pm to 7:30pm at The Vic, Subiaco<br>
<br>
All the details are on my <a href="/gigs" target="_blank">gigs</a> page.<br>
<br>
Enjoy your weekend, and go easy on the midi-chlorians ;P<br>
<br>
Sue xx<br>
<br>
<br>
*you knew I was going to sneak in a Yoda pun </p>
Sue Summerstag:suesummersmusic.com,2005:Post/39531172015-12-07T18:28:00+08:002017-01-10T21:08:05+08:00'The Most Wonderful Time' & gig update"It's the most wonderful time of the year," the 1960s Andy Williams song goes. In many ways, it certainly is. A time of getting together with friends and loved ones, of giving and receiving gifts, of being thankful for the good things we've been lucky to have and experience, and of looking forward to the future, and to the year ahead.<br><br>But it's not so wonderful for everyone, as we all know from the stories we see on the news and social media, and just from seeing what happens to the people in our lives. The wonder of this time of year is unfortunately always diminished by the challenges, hardships and pain we, those we care for, and our fellow humans on this planet in general suffer. The childlike wonder of the Christmastime of our youth rarely follows us into adulthood, no matter how optimistic, holistic or spiritual we may see ourselves.<br><br>However I don't think that's a bad thing. If we allow it, experience brings maturity, maturity brings empathy. Without empathy, the world would be a far colder, scarier place to live. I'm truly thankful for those in my life who've taught me what<div class="captioned justify_left"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/106581/2bceca62566e4afd5f570a27547fc3da73f0e8a4/medium/elf-gif.gif?1449482651" class="size_orig justify_left border_" alt="" /><p class="caption">'Just smile' - possibly the last life lesson we get? :)</p></div>empathy, giving and loving is all about: my family, my husband, and those I call friends. I'm even thankful for those in my life who've helped me grow up through, shall we say, 'presenting me with challenges'. Without having had the opportunity to grow through those challenges, I wouldn't be the person I am today. So, while Christmas today for me is a less carefree and less enchanting time of the year than it was in my childhood, it's also less selfish and egocentric, and more thoughtful one. My wish at this time of year is that I continue down that path, and be always a truly useful help and support to those around me who I love. I have a ways to go yet.<br><br>This week the festivity of Christmas amps up in my world: I have two community Christmas gigs, my last pre-Christmas music & percussion workshop and concert for the beautiful clients at disability groups activity centre Kira, and I will be unable to restrain myself from slipping the odd festive song in to my set lists for a businesspeople, families and singles out and about, enjoying the jolly season in the pubs and bistros I play at. Maybe you will be among them :) Here are my public Perth, Australia <a contents="gigs" data-link-label="GIGS" data-link-type="page" href="/gigs" target="_blank">gigs</a> in the lead-up to Christmas Day:<br><br>Friday, 11 December<br>- solo at Hedgehog's Christmas Advent Day, from around 12pm to 1pm at Hedgehogs Cafe, Bassendean<br>- solo from 5:30pm to 8:30pm at The Vic Hotel, Subiaco<br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/106581/576ee0354b16862f1d3bff63042136bdf3fbb29c/medium/img-3192.jpg?1449481944" class="size_m justify_right border_none" alt="What Christmas looks like at my house " style="margin: 5px 5px 5px 15px;" /><br>Saturday, 12 December<br>- solo from 6pm to 9pm at the Nag's Head Tavern, Cooloongup<br><br>Sunday, 13 December<br>- solo from 1:30pm to 4:30pm at 7th Ave Bar & Bistro<br><br>Friday, 18 December<br>- solo from 7:30pm to 10:30pm at the Last Drop in Warnbro<br><br>Saturday, 19 December<br>- trio The Wire play the <b>Bolt Coffee Christmas fundraiser</b> evening in Hazelmere<br><br>Sunday, 20 December<br>- solo from 1:30pm to 4:30pm at 7th Ave Bar & Bistro<br><br>Thursday, 24 December <br>- Christmas Eve at the Vic, solo from 4:30pm to 7:30pm at The Vic Hotel, Subiaco<br><br>You can check out the details on my <a contents="Gigs" data-link-label="GIGS" data-link-type="page" href="/gigs" target="_blank">Gigs</a> page.<br><br>I hope the lead-up to your Christmas is stacked more on the side of joy, frivolity, friendship and happiness than...well, all the things that can make up the other side of Christmas. And do I hope to see you at a gig somewhere before the 'C' day, but whatever you do get up to, do keep enjoying your music. :)<br><br>Sue xo<br><br>P.S. You can read my latest blog post on my <a contents="Blog" data-link-label="BLOG" data-link-type="page" href="/blog" target="_blank">Blog</a> page, where I talk about recent interesting gigs and new musical ventures. <br><br>P.P.S. You can now download my single 'Sand' for free: go to http://suesummersmusic.com/track/533285/sand?feature_id=67239 and click on 'Free' to download. Sue Summerstag:suesummersmusic.com,2005:Post/44262972015-12-04T15:22:42+08:002017-01-10T21:08:06+08:00Looking forward, looking back...<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody> <tr> <td valign="top"> <p><b>Hi, folks. Here's my latest update, with news on my music endeavours such as study, performances, and a new venture. I've also made my single Sand free to download: see the link down the bottom, and download and enjoy your free song!</b><br> </p>
<p><b><i>Contemplation...</i></b><br> 'Looking forward, looking back' is the title of a Slim Dusty song, about contemplating where we are in life - where we've been, where we're going. December has always been a time of contemplation for me, in regards to my life's direction. I guess it probably is for a lot of people. The work or study year comes to an end, and we often find ourselves thinking about the year ahead, it being just around the corner - a whole new year with a new set of opportunities and challenges.</p>
<p><b><i>Teachings and learnings...</i></b><br> I've just finished my Certificate III in Technical Production (in music), and have applied to study the Diploma in Sound Production at Central TAFE next year. Come this time of thinking forward, and I find am thinking a lot about working in ensembles more in 2016, and winding back solo performances, of which I've been fortunate to perform regularly in 2015. But performing as a soloist is rather taxing on the voice, with me usually sounding like pack-a-day smoker after three or four solo gigs! So the voice I'm left with during the week following a busy gig weekend is not very conducive to recording, and using all the wonderful learnings from my studies in music recording. I love performing live, but it's time for some changes in how and where I do it. <br> <br> <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/106581/421c75c92c842ba2e844c8e6319ec3d6f99bcfe6/medium/image.jpeg?1449070007" class="size_m justify_right border_thin" alt="" /><b><i>Adventures in red dirt...</i></b><br> Speaking of change, last week I had the pleasure of experiencing something that was very much a change from the norm for me - something that was as much an adventure as a gig. I had the opportunity to play a few solo gigs on two iron ore mine site camps in the North-West of Western Australia. It's my second experience of a 'north-west' in the last few months, and this one couldn't have been more different from the first: in September I visited the north-west highlands of Scotland, the birthplace of my paternal grandmother and her ancestors. I guess one similarity was that the sky was up and the ground was down. And also that both places were fascinating to me. </p>
<p>My Pilbara adventure began thusly: last Tuesday morning I was up at 3:30am (a time that not only surprisingly exists, but that is apparently familiar to scores of people! ;) ) for my flight from <b><i><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/106581/3c111a5fe10c0709bf36994ff88e7adc3ab7374a/small/image.png?1449070010" class="size_s justify_left border_thin" alt="" /></i></b>Perth. After around 90 minutes I arrived at tiny airport just down the road from Cloudbreak mine, and along with my guitars and bags, was shortly picked up by a friendly Cloudbreak staff member in a dual cab car with fluoro stripes, a big number on the side and a small, bright flag waving overhead. A few minutes down the road we arrived in a carpark filled with many more fluoro-striped vehicles, and a big bus. I was taken to the camp reception where a pleasant young woman gave me my room key and told me some information about the campsite: where and when to get breakfast, dinner and 'crib', who was going to help me with setting up the P.A., and where my room and the campsite facilities were. I found my room, settled in, and then spent the next couple of hours familiarising myself with the camp, meeting people, finding out where I was to be playing, and setting up a time to do setup and sound check for that evening. I went on to play a 2-hour set from 6:30pm to 8:30pm that afternoon for the 'day shift' folks, then on Wednesday morning, after getting up at 4:30am, I played a 6:15am show for the night shift people. It was unusual seeing the after-work drinks regimen happening at 6am in the morning. After my morning gig, I had about 20 minutes to get my gear and personal items together, and with the help of another staffer, put it all into another fluro-striped vehicle and set off for my next gig destination, Karntama camp, where I was to do it all over again. </p>
<p><b><i>Warm fuzzies...</i></b><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/106581/1aeaab47d4a8a10dfe0f5729886ad802bc0e5724/small/image.jpeg?1449070048" class="size_s justify_right border_thin" alt="" /><br> The staff at Karntama were just as friendly and helpful as those at Cloudbreak had been, and like their colleagues also blended geniality with solid professionalism and dedication to their job, and tempered job seriousness (in an industry where seriousness about safety and accuracy is paramount) with balanced good humour, which must help a lot in dealing with the elements of their high pressure work, long hours and the resulting fatigue. In fact, everyone I dealt with during my trip displayed these qualities. There was the real sense of a family-style team, with respect, care and responsibility shown to one another, at both sites. Those workers on the site who came to hear me play, while I didn't get to know them as much as the camp supervising team, came across as warm, appreciative, respectful and responsive to the music I brought them, and the little space I gave them to get away from the pressure of the job for a while. Some ladies and gents even followed me from night to morning gig, they enjoyed it so much, which made me feel warm and fuzzy. :)<br> <br> <b><i>Early mornings...</i></b><br> I've got to say, it was a rather novel experience for me to not only be up before 5am for three days in a row, but playing music before 7am for two days. Amazingly, I managed to warm up enough to overcome morning voice, and while tiring, the experience was one I thoroughly enjoyed. I do hope to get the chance to do it again, and to visit this deep red, remarkable country and its inhabitants, sometime in 2016. I guess it will depend a little on how the price of iron ore goes in the coming year. <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/106581/f187d3528f0f3e5890725404ad757ab907f7585d/medium/the-wire-trio-4.jpg?1447343674" class="size_m justify_right border_none" alt="" /></p>
<p><b><i>New and exciting ventures!...</i></b><br> In other news, I'm excited to announce I have been rehearsing and working on old and new material with two good friends, Stu Barker and Dorothy Helfgott, in a new trio called The Wire. We have all played together in duos and as a trio before, but decided more recently to work on an original act focusing on good songs with great sounding male and female harmonies. We have a website at <a href="http://www.thewiremusic.com.au/">www.thewiremusic.com.au</a>, and a Facebook page at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/tothewiremusic">www.facebook.com/tothewiremusic</a>. Check us out and stay tuned for more news, especially our next gig - see below!</p>
<p><b><i>Music performances...</i></b><br> Gig-wise, I am pretty busy in December with 17 public and private gigs, including a new regular spot at The Vic Hotel in Subiaco and Swanbrook Winery in Swan View, and regular spots at the National Hotel in Fremantle, the 7th Ave Bar & Bistro in Midland, and the Nag's Head and Last Drop in Rockingham. Also, The Wire trio will be playing a special fundraiser performance at Bolt Coffee on the evening of Saturday, 19 December, so get that one locked down in your diary if you're free. :) </p>
<p>My gig schedule can be found at <a href="http://www.suesummersmusic.com/gigs">www.suesummersmusic.com/gigs</a>. Hope to see you at one soon!</p>
<p><b><i>Music creations...</i></b><br> Last but certainly not least, I've been doing more original music writing, and more releases are back on the table. Stay tuned, and thanks for perservering to the end of my long post. :)</p>
<p>As always, keep loving your music!</p>
<p>Sue xx</p>
<p><b>Download 'Sand' for FREE at </b><a href="http://suesummersmusic.com/track/533285/sand?feature_id=67239"><b>http://suesummersmusic.com/track/533285/sand?feature_id=67239</b></a><b> :D</b></p> </td> </tr>
</tbody></table>Sue Summerstag:suesummersmusic.com,2005:Post/38261322015-08-20T15:07:29+08:002017-01-10T21:08:05+08:00Suesweek - a weekly update/musepost<br><span class="font_small"><strong>'Suesweek'. Ya know, like Newsweek. News...week... *grins-at-the-likely-groans* Haha yep, in true Sue style I've begun my new weekly updates with a bad pun. No apologies - I like puns. They go well with my terrible jokes. :)</strong><br><br>So, I thought it was rather remiss of me to not have posted any blogs on here since my 'No New Year's resolutions' post. But then, the lack of blog posts since then is also kind of poetic... :)<br><br>Now that I can definitely say I haven't stuck to any potential New Year's resolutions, I can now pop a weekly blog here. I have actually been posting a weekly mini blog/update for a few weeks, but sending it out on my Facebook page. Here is a slightly different version of the one I sent out on FB a day ago (version with extra news about a special streaming, and with awesome photos):</span>
<a contents="" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ken-Summers-Photography/126018070774093?fref=ts" target="_blank"><div class="captioned justify_right"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/106581/0933bafc7dc8f6d4364aece831594f9cb6cc2f4c/large/road-closeup.jpg?1440053656" class="size_orig justify_right border_" /><p class="caption">Photo by Ken Summers</p></div></a>
<p style="margin: 0px 0px 6px; color: rgb(20, 24, 35); font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"><br><span class="font_regular"><em>Life's like a road that you travel on<br>When there's one day here and the next day gone<br>Sometimes you bend, sometimes you stand<br>Sometimes you turn your back to the wind<br>There's a world outside ev'ry darkened door<br><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">Where blues won't haunt you anymore<br>Where brave are free and lovers soar<br>Come ride with me to the distant shore<br>We won't hesitate<br>To break down the garden gate<br>There's not much time left today</span></em></span></p>
<div class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; color: rgb(20, 24, 35); font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">
<p style="margin: 0px 0px 6px;"><span class="font_regular"><em>Life is a highway</em></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px 0px 6px;"><span class="font_regular"><em>I wanna ride it all night long<br>If you're going my way<br>I wanna drive it all night long</em></span></p>
<p style="margin: 6px 0px;"><span class="font_regular">- Tom Cochrane (performed by Rascal Flatts)</span></p>
<p style="margin: 6px 0px;"><br><span class="font_regular">The road takes me near and far, out into places I'm familiar with, some I'm unfamiliar with, through the daytime and under the night sky. I see people celebrating, relaxing, conversing, listening, drinking, sometimes their hearts breaking. I sing to take away their blues, help them ride them out, sometimes perhaps swim in them for a time when that's what's required. I want to keep travelling these roads, and new roads to new destinations. Maybe I'll never stop.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 6px 0px;"><span class="font_regular">My travels this weekend take me to:</span></p>
<p style="margin: 6px 0px;"><span class="font_regular">Friday - solo from 8:30pm to 10:30pm - at the <a class="profileLink" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=108702335869999" href="https://www.facebook.com/leopoldhotel" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Leopold Hotel</a> in Bicton<br>Saturday - Susie and the Beatz gig from 8:45pm to 11:55pm at <a class="profileLink" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=403274113029081" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-National-Hotel/403274113029081" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">The National Hotel</a> <br>Sunday - Red Shoes duo (with Dorothy Helfgott-Lydon) from 6:30pm to 9:30pm at JB O'Reillys Leederville</span><br><br>Note: Susie and the Beatz will be live streamed on Meerkat from 11:15pm till midnight (our last set), so if you can't make it and wish to tune in, head to my Meerkat profile https://meerkatapp.co/sulijo, 'follow' me, and keep an eye out for the Meerkat stream schedule (I will be able to set this on Saturday morning, Perth, Australia (GM+8H) time. </p>
<p style="margin: 6px 0px;"><span class="font_regular">Wherever you are, I'd love you to join me <i class="_4-k1 img sp_fM-mz8spZ1b sx_5371b4" style="vertical-align: -3px; display: inline-block; height: 16px; width: 16px; background-image: url(https://fbstatic-a.akamaihd.net/rsrc.php/v2/yx/r/pimRBh7B6ER.png); background-size: auto; background-position: 0px -340px; background-repeat: no-repeat;"><u style="left: -999999px; position: absolute;">smile emotico<br><br>Sue</u></i></span><br><br>Sue <br><br>P.S. Feedback and content/news item requests are welcome!<br><br>P.P.S. Check out more photos by talented photographer Ken Summers <a contents="here" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ken-Summers-Photography/126018070774093?fref=ts" target="_blank">here</a>!<br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/106581/7cbfc7f6462f388c172ffbd7a36693a338f1c479/original/leaning-tree-tog-page.jpg?1440053655" class="size_l justify_left border_" /></p>
</div>Sue Summerstag:suesummersmusic.com,2005:Post/44262982015-01-14T20:36:48+08:002017-01-10T21:08:06+08:00Why I'm not making New Year's resolutions this year... <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/106581/bfae27ec2fb7c23e07621ce0fe05784690b2d073/original/img-6848.jpg?1421237626" class="size_orig justify_right border_" /><p class="caption" style="text-align: right;"><span class="font_small">The view from the beer garden at the Endeavour Tavern, Lancelin</span></p><br style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;">Hey, folks. </span><br style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"><br style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;">Happy New Year and jolly festive wishes to you. I hope Christmas and the New Year were kind to you. How are you going on your new year’s resolutions?</span><br style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"> </span><br style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;">I’ve personally been too busy to make any. Or more honestly, have probably been avoiding the task. Not that I think that’s a bad thing. I’ve changed my mind a bit recently on planning and goal-setting. Because while it might seem easy for people like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Tim Robbins to set a huge long-term goal, visualize every step leading towards it, and just make it happen like they were Goal Gandalf, it seems to me ‘chasing your dreams’ generally involves more chasing than getting. Life does seem to get in the way.</span><br style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"> </span><br style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;">Which is why I was greatly inspired in December on hearing </span><a contents="Tim Minchin’s 2013 graduation speech" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoEezZD71sc" style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;" target="_blank">Tim Minchin’s 2013 graduation speech</a><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"> to students of his old alma mater, the University of WA. If you’ve heard the speech, you’ll know what I mean.</span><br style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"> </span><br style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;">Two points he made in his very clever speech included:</span><br style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"> </span><br style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;">“One. You don’t have to have a dream. Americans on talent shows always talk about their dreams… I never really had one of these dreams and so I advocate passionate dedication to the pursuit of short-term goals…”</span><br style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"> </span><br style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;">As Tim went on to explain, if you focus too far in front of you, you’ll likely miss out on noticing the next exciting and fulfilling opportunity meant just for you.</span><br style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"> </span><br style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;">And two – to paraphrase Tim, don’t take yourself so seriously; enjoy your life! The world may revolve around you from your perspective, but it doesn’t according to anyone else. We are all a meaningless blip in an ancient universe, so have fun and make the most of your blipfield J As Tim puts it:</span><br style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"> </span><br style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;">“There is only one sensible thing to do with this empty existence and that is fill it… Life is best filled by learning as much as you can about as much as you can. Taking pride in whatever you’re doing. Having compassion, sharing ideas, running, being enthusiastic…”</span><br style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"> </span><br style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;">So that’s what I plan to do in 2015.</span><br style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"> <div class="captioned justify_left"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/106581/6d6e0ab763699d4118ab97b4e32cd68c4d35a5cb/medium/img-6968.jpg?1421237268" class="size_orig justify_left border_" /><p class="caption"><span class='font_small'>Dad and daughter enjoying the marvellous sand dunes of Lancelin</span></p></div><br style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"><strong style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;">Music update</strong><br style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"> </span><br style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;">On the gig front, I’ve been doing a fair bit of the above, and having a ball at my gigs. Our little family just made a great weekend out of my gig at the Endeavour Tavern on Saturday afternoon, and oh, what a little piece of paradise that pub’s beer garden is, overlooking the beautiful beaches of Lancelin. I did nearly lose my P.A. to a very brisk sea breeze but hey, it would have been a small price to pay for what was a blissful afternoon of music-making. And we all had a great time in the region seeing the </span><a contents="Pinnacles" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.visitpinnaclescountry.com.au/pages/the-pinnacles/" style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;" target="_blank">Pinnacles</a><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"> and </span><a contents="Stromatolites" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.visitpinnaclescountry.com.au/pages/lake-thetis-and-stromatolites/" style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;" target="_blank">Stromatolites</a><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;">; eating at Lobster Shack, where my step-daughter learned she LOVES the taste of rock lobster; swimming and snorkeling in the Indian Ocean; and sandboarding on the amazing white dunes of Lancelin with the kids. We are lucky and life is good.</span><br style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"> </span><br style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"><strong style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;">Upcoming gigs</strong><br style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"> </span><br style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;">I’ve just added some new gigs, and more to come too, so check out my home page at </span><a contents="sulijo.com" data-link-label="HOME" data-link-type="page" href="http://suesummersmusic.com/home" style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;" target="_blank">sulijo.com</a><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"> to see where to find me having more fun making music.</span><br style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;">A couple of changes include:</span><br style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"> </span><br style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;">Craigie Tavern Sundays have moved back from 6pm-8pm, to now 6:30pm to 8:30pm.</span><br style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;">Mt Henry on Thursday 22 January has been cancelled as the venue is renovating.</span><br style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"> </span><br style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;">Some of the projects I’m getting up include a bit of rebranding and redecorating of the website, including a name change :-o ..as well as some more trio and band news, which is pretty exciting in my books :D And of course continuing the creating and songwriting fun.</span><br style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"> </span><br style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;"><span style="font-size: 12.222222328186px;">I’d be interested to know from you guys, if you've made new year's resolutions yourself, or if you've chosen not to, and why...</span>Sue Summerstag:suesummersmusic.com,2005:Post/44262992014-11-19T17:15:08+08:002020-08-05T15:17:59+08:00Subscriber email alert, more gig noooz<p>Hey, folks. <br><br>If you subscribe to my <a contents="mailing list" data-link-label="HOME" data-link-type="page" href="http://suesummersmusic.com/home" target="_blank">mailing list</a>, check your inbox for a little pre-Christmas encouragement message from me, and an update on gigs. Oh and a free demo reel track showing the kind of stuff I do at a gig :)<br><br>There've been a few changes and a few new performance dates added to my <a contents="Gigs" data-link-label="GIGS" data-link-type="page" href="http://suesummersmusic.com/gigs" target="_blank">Gigs</a> page, so if you want to know where I'll be on a particular date, check it out, or my <a contents="Home" data-link-label="HOME" data-link-type="page" href="http://suesummersmusic.com/home" target="_blank">Home</a> page calendar.<br><br>This weekend I am having a small break for my birthday, which is on Monday. Before that though I WILL be very happily back at the Victoria Park Hotel this Friday (being asked back as they resume soloists on a Friday being a very nice gig-related birthday present :)). Then it's putting up the feet for the rest of the weekend. Ahhhhhh...<br><br>Might catch some of you somewhere in Perth on the weekend! <br><br>Cheerio till then,<br><br>Sue x<br><br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/106581/801ec8a7023aa79d35d2063995fdab2c29fa09a0/original/sunday-squirrel-not-doing-anything.jpg?1416388410" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><br> </p>Sue Summerstag:suesummersmusic.com,2005:Post/44263002014-10-23T13:11:10+08:002016-10-19T23:48:42+08:00New gigs!Hi, folks. <br><br>Instead of trying to come up with something witty and profound, I thought I should shoot out a quick note with news about a bunch of new gigs for the rest of 2014, and into 2015. Cos often I get asked where and when I'm playing, and why you didn't know about a gig sooner, because you'd have come to it if you did. <br><br>Well, check out <a contents="my gigs page" data-link-label="GIGS" data-link-type="page" href="http://suesummersmusic.com/gigs" target="_blank">my gigs page</a> to find out where I'm playing! I update it pretty regularly these days. You can also find updates on <a contents="my facebook page" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/sulijomusic" target="_blank">my facebook page</a> - since most people are on Facebook these days I'll try harder to get the info on there sooner :)<br><br>And in other general news, now that the madness of weddings, house moving and international Ultimate disc tournaments is over, my thoughts (and finances) can perhaps turn to recording that elusive EP... <br><br>Stay tuned, and please pass on to your friends to <a contents="subscribe" data-link-label="HOME" data-link-type="page" href="http://suesummersmusic.com/home">subscribe</a> for more updates! And if you're really "lucky", some witty and profound postings... ;)<br><br>Sue xSue Summerstag:suesummersmusic.com,2005:Post/29254672014-05-07T16:17:13+08:002014-05-07T16:18:00+08:00The errant blogger speaks...Check out my latest blog and read about my all-consuming carryings on over the past few months... :)<br><br><a contents="New blog on my mysterious vanishing blog trick" data-link-label="BLOG" data-link-type="page" href="/blog">New blog on my mysterious vanishing blog trick</a>Sue Summerstag:suesummersmusic.com,2005:Post/44263012014-05-07T15:58:50+08:002017-01-10T21:08:06+08:00Why my blogs disappeared for a while...Hi, folks! It’s been a long time between blog posts from me, I know. My social media updates have also been pretty basic for the past few months. There's a good reason for this – I had a big ol’ wedding! Well, big as in time commitment, both in prep and in the number of celebrations... In the months leading up to my four-part, 2-continent wedding celebrations, I had little mental or time space for much else, ‘cept for gigs, Ultimate Frisbee, eating and sleeping. But it was all so very worth it, as my new hubby Ken and I had the most amazing time. <br><br>Celebrations began with a beautiful ceremony by the river near our home, and dinner at my favourite local restaurant, Jezebelle. It then moved to Bali two weeks later for an on-field Ultimate frisbee-themed, post-tournament wedding ceremony complete with tournament participants helping to form a Frisbee aisle, a Frisbee floral bouquet, torrential rain and dress wrecking via running layouts into the nicely pre-prepared mud puddles J. Bali celebrations were wrapped up with a beautiful sunset reception where we and our friends and family finished the evening keeping cool in the venue’s infinity pool overlooking the beach and Easter fireworks. Many beautiful memories were made, and hey, we now have two opportunities to remember our anniversary (ie. chocolate egg buying means ‘oh, jeez, isn’t it our anniversary?!’) The pics below will give you an idea of how much fun we had :)<br> <br>So, now that’s all done and dusted, life can return somewhat to normal. Apart from the massive Ultimate training schedule before we to head to Italy in August to play in Masters teams for Australia in the World Ultimate Club Championships… :-o<br> <br>In between family life, sports, and trying to raise money to fund both, I’ll be trying to fit in as much music creation as I can! (and of course trying to raise funds for that too…)<br> <br>Live music wise, you can see me perform regular duo gigs in May at the Rock Inne pub in Karagullen (every Sunday and every second Friday – 16<sup>th</sup> & 30<sup>th</sup>), as well as solo every second Friday at the Victoria Park Hotel in May and June. I also play solo at The Boat in Mindarie this Saturday. Check out my Facebook page or the ‘Gigs’ page on my website here to get the latest on where I am.<br> <br>Creatively, I plan to record some of the songs I’ve written in snatches of time over the past few months, write some more, and put up some live music videos. And of course work on that debut EP… It’s time for the creative beast to be poked with a stick and ordered to get its butt out of the cave – sleep time is over, beast! J<br> <br>Until my next update, keep loving your music!<br> <br>Sue xx<br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/106581/8228121b85070e73fb923332ad297e211bdbda22/original/10299964-1431536220431431-4189687500388256397-n.jpg?1399449297" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/106581/2e54be8c49c79ab205c80beaeaf809f0c0d9bc50/original/10151945-10152443344039954-4543356044974476503-n.jpg?1399449422" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/106581/d6bf406d3f410882b4572b6eed2430019fd274ed/original/10171630-10200845122290578-7000503522589744504-n.jpg?1399449295" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/106581/96a397d132095f170702dd55ddd1ba81bc28cdaf/original/10288723-10152158260637108-6928852179178475813-n.jpg?1399449296" class="size_l justify_center border_" />Sue Summerstag:suesummersmusic.com,2005:Post/18620032013-10-16T16:54:57+08:002013-10-16T16:54:57+08:00New blog on the magical powers of musicHey, folks. Check out my latest blog about the magic of music and how it's led me thus far...<br><br><a contents="Blog here! :)" data-link-label="BLOG" data-link-type="page" href="/blog">Blog here! :)</a>Sue Summerstag:suesummersmusic.com,2005:Post/44263022013-10-16T16:51:22+08:002016-10-19T23:48:42+08:00Why I finally decided to start writing and releasing my own music<strong>As I release my very first original song recording for the world to hear, I got to thinking about the journey that brought me to this point...</strong><br><br>Have you ever loved and admired something so much that you don't dare dream it could be yours? That you could possess it, channel it, hold it in your hand? But you keep dreaming anyway?<br><br><span style="font-size: 13px; font-family: Arial;">As early as I can remember, I've always been crazy about music. I'd spend literally 3-4 hours at a time alone in my room, listening to music on my cassette tape deck. Listening, listening, soaking up, and loving how it made me feel.</span><br><br><span style="font-size: 13px; font-family: Arial;">To me as a child, music was a magical and wondrous thing. It was my saviour. It was my heartbeat. And my music idols were like demi gods - superhuman beings who somehow made this incredible sound that, once it entered my ears, had this magical power over the rest of me. </span><br><br><span style="font-size: 13px; font-family: Arial;">How does music do that to us? It enters with sound and vibration through ears, skin, muscle, bone. It moves us. It soothes us. It emboldens us. It cries with us. It releases our rage. It makes us fall in love. It changes how we see things. It changes us. </span><br><br><span style="font-size: 13px; font-family: Arial;">It took me a long time to believe I was worthy of holding such a power in my hands. I began honing my instruments, voice and guitar, fuelled and pulled along by this magical power, music. In time I was ready to play music for others - to weild the magician's tools and use them to move and transform others. What some may have called 'playing covers', has been to me, being bestowed with the honour of playing out the spells of master magicians before me. </span><br><br><span style="font-size: 13px; font-family: Arial;">Finally, it became time to create my own little pieces of magic. What I've come to find, in writing my own songs, and what I love about music is that it is no respector of vessels - it will flow through any who have the desire and belief to let it. How it sounds when it comes out the other side depends on you. I've finally come to the point where believed it - that I could create my own music.</span><br><br><span style="font-size: 13px; font-family: Arial;">That's what I'm doing now, and it feels amazing. I can't help but remember the words sung by some practitioners of this magic that inspired me as a child - ABBA: thank you for the music. </span><br><br><span style="font-size: 13px; font-family: Arial;"><3 Sue</span>Sue Summerstag:suesummersmusic.com,2005:Post/18465392013-10-14T16:28:10+08:002013-10-16T16:08:54+08:00New single 'Sand' - trickling into an online store 'near' you ;)<b><a contents="Sand" data-link-label="MUSIC" data-link-type="page" href="/music">Sand</a> single released by Sulijo!</b><br>Hey, lovely peeps! My debut single, 'Sand' has been sent out under the artist name <strong>Sulijo</strong> and **will be appearing in a bunch of online stores this week ie. iTunes, Rdio, Amazon, Spotify. It's already on Rdio and Amazon so the others won't be far behind :D<br><br><b>Who is 'Sulijo'??</b><br>I've decided to use Sulijo as my recording/stage name for my solo original music. It's essentially a short version of my name: the first two letters of each word in Sue Lillian Johnson. It's been my online user name, and in my website URL and email addresses for a while. One day not that long ago I decided, "Heck, I'm gonna use Sulijo as a stage name. It's short, it's unique, it's strange - just like me!" ;) Some good friends agreed, and lo, Sulijo came to be.<br><br>So you can find my new song under the artist name Sulijo, song name Sand.<br><br><strong>'Sand' October sales for Telethon 2013</strong><br>And in celebration of the honour of launching the song on Channel 7 Perth's Telethon 2013 and in my wish to help the kids that benefit from Telethon, I'm going to donate the proceeds of sales of <a contents="Sand" data-link-label="MUSIC" data-link-type="page" href="/music">Sand</a> in October to Telethon. So you get to enjoy a multilayered warm and fuzzy feeling by making me, you, <i>and</i> some kids feel good through my music, for only a dollar or two! <br><br>So I'd love it if you'd keep an eye out for Sand, and keep loving your music. :) <br><br>Sue x<br><br>**update - Sand is OUT! and you can buy it on this website on the <a contents="Music" data-link-label="MUSIC" data-link-type="page" href="/music">Music</a> page - more proceeds will go to Telethon for October sales that way :)Sue Summerstag:suesummersmusic.com,2005:Post/18234622013-10-10T16:01:13+08:002013-10-14T16:05:09+08:00Release of single 'Sand', and launch on Telethon 2013!Hey, folks.<br><br>So, here is the news that went out to newletter subscribers yesterday. My big news seems to have been a while coming, but I haven't been dangling this 'news carrot' for so long on purpose - it's just that confirmation of certain events just came through late yesterday.<div style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<br style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"><strong style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">I'm going to be releasing my DEBUT SINGLE next week!</strong>
</div><br style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">It's called </span><strong style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">'Sand'</strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">, and it's an upbeat & harmony-rich song that I cowrote with Steve Parkin (Autopilot, Basement Birds, and solo) and Ken Summers (my poet partner). </span><br style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">But WAIT - that's not all...</span>
<div style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<br style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"><strong style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">I'll be launching the song with a band in a performance on Channel 7 Perth's <a contents="TELETHON 2013" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.telethon.7perth.com.au/index.php/telethon-weekend/telethon-weekend-2013" style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 1, 92);" target="_blank">TELETHON 2013</a>!!</strong>
</div><br style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I'll be on around 1:30am on Sunday morning, in amongst a huge lineup of amazing artists this year. All I can say at the chance to do this is superWOW-level exciting for me, and I'm honoured to have a spot on this iconic charity show. :) </span><br style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Making the performance even more special, I'll be joined by good friends onstage, including Cindy Dean, my former Juliet's Diary duo partner. This is the first Telethon that Cindy will be missing her late dad, the wonderful Peter Dean - otherwise known as Mr Telethon through the '70s and '80s in Perth. Many watching Telethon will remember him. Peter was a super funny and witty raconteur and entertainer and a loving family man who had a great sense of fun that he passed on to his kids and grandkids. The band and I are going to wear 70's style clothes in his memory, as well as in a nod to 'Sand's influences. I can't think of a more worthy excuse to get dressed up and think Peter would have approved :)</span><br style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I'll also be </span><strong style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">donating all proceeds of digital sales of 'Sand' in October to Telethon.</strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> I hope it will to be available for download late next week so that you can support the very worthy cause of Telethon. </span><br><br>Subscribe to my newsletter and I'll keep you all posted on happenings such as my EP, as well as a special surprise downloadable music treats I have in store! :)<br><br>Sue xxSue Summerstag:suesummersmusic.com,2005:Post/17892622013-10-06T14:18:43+08:002013-10-06T14:18:43+08:00Plethora of upcoming gigs!Hey, folks!<br><br>As mentioned in my last news, I have a plethora/slew/bunch of new gigs coming up...<br><br>Check out my events calendar for new residencies at<ul>
<li>The Boat, Mindarie</li> <li>the cocktail lounge at the Bassendean Hotel, and</li> <li>the Victoria Park Hotel</li>
</ul>I also have a duo gig with Bryan Rice Dalton coming up on Melbourne Cup Day at Market City Tavern. I continue to play monthly with Shaun Street at the gorgeous Jezebelle in Guildford, as well as joining Bryan at Durty Nellys Irish pub and JB O'Reillys most Fridays and some Sundays respectively.<br><br>I will be shortly sharing my exciting debut EP news with you all soon via my newsletter, so pop your email into the above form to register & get the news first!<br><br>Thanks for all your support - it's truly appreciated and will be rewarded with new original music offerings soon. :)<br><br>Sue xxSue Summerstag:suesummersmusic.com,2005:Post/17074652013-09-26T00:35:26+08:002013-09-26T00:36:19+08:00Jezebelle gig this weekend! And more gigs to come...Hi, folks.<br><br>My 6 October gig at Jezebelle has been moved forward to this Sunday. I look forward to catching up with those of you who can make it! Jezebelle is always an amazing place to be no matter the day or time, and I'm greatly looking forward to being there this Sunday and soaking up the sumptuous vibe of this lovely Guildford restaurant.<br><br>I have lots more news about exciting musical ventures including lots of new gigs at new venues coming up very soon - stay 'tuned', music lovers! :) <br><br>Sue xSue Summerstag:suesummersmusic.com,2005:Post/15192572013-08-31T23:40:11+08:002022-05-10T14:41:33+08:00Debut EP update<span class="font_regular"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><strong>Eeeep! An EP!!</strong><br>Well, at this moment in time, in my life, I am <em>stoked</em>, to use a well-worn Australianism. :) This past week marked a significant point in my life and music career: I made my first professional recording, and therefore made a start on recording my debut EP. Noah Shilkin at Sonic Lolly did a fine job of playing, recording and mixing the track, and it was, well, rather 'masterfully' mastered by the Grammy-Award-winning King Willy Bowden. The rest of the EP is set to be recorded over the coming months - there'll be more news on that soon. </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">More news is also coming soon of a special release for my first single... :-o</span><br><br><strong>Bloggigiciousness...</strong><br style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">In the meantime, check out my most recent </span><a href="http://sulijo.com/blog.cfm" style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 1, 92); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">blog</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">, in which I share how I plan not to tempt bad Karma in my business. For</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> updates on performances check out the calendar on my home page, </span><a href="http://sulijo.com/home.cfm" style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 1, 92); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">here</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">, or on my </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/sulijomusic" style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 1, 92); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" target="_new">Facebook</a></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span class="font_regular"> page if you are on FB a lot like I am...<br><br><b>"You've got mail!"</b><br>If you'd like to get first dibs on news, and <em>only dibs</em> on superspecial tasty treats I will be sending out from time to time, <u>do make sure</u> you subscribe to to my <strong>mailing list</strong> (it's on the <a contents="Home" data-link-label="HOME" data-link-type="page" href="/home">Home</a> page). Being a subscriber makes you part of my support crew in my books, and as such you will be rewarded, and rewarded handsomely..... :)<br><br>One last thing - a life lesson that struck me this past week, and was reinforced at the <a contents="Big Hearted Business" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://bigheartedbusiness.clarebowditch.com/" target="_blank">Big Hearted Business</a> morning tea that I attended on Saturday, run by amazing Aussie songstress and businesswoman Clare Bowditch:<br><br><em><strong>Don't just wish it: dream it, then do it. Soon you'll find...you are it.</strong></em> :)<br><br>Sue x</span></span>Sue Summerstag:suesummersmusic.com,2005:Post/44263032013-08-19T19:25:00+08:002016-10-19T23:48:42+08:00Getting Karma working for - instead of against - your online businessSometimes it feels like I have to sweat bullets in order to deliver a piece of creative writing. But if there's one thing I get fired up about and have no problem getting the writing flowing, it's when I write from the point of view of the disgruntled customer.
<div> </div>
<div>The other day I got royally fired up and wrote a nearly-500-word essay-email in one swift sitting.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>I'd ordered an item online, and the US website I'd ordered from was dated, clunky, and rendering slowly. Twice it rejected a perfectly fine credit card (it processed the third time), it didn't use the usual convention of secure forms, and took its time showing the details for items I was buying. The online shop also gave off one of those aggressive 'if you don't buy from us right now you're an ignorant dick' kind of vibes. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Thinking I'd finally completed the ordeal of trying to simply buy two products, I checked my bank to find I'd been charged for an extra item, worth $60.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>I then received an email saying I'd purchased some item I'd never even heard of.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>What then transpired was several emails back and forth, starting out in the vein of me asking "Can you help me out? There's been a mistake, your site wasn't rendering and..." to, "Um, what do you mean 'Too bad if you haven't even heard of this product. It's not our fault. Our logs tell us you clicked it, so you bought it'?" to, a few emails later, me writing a long entreaty about it not being about the money, that I like your products and don't want to believe that I may have to stop buying them because you have a hard, unfriendly (actually pretty mean) and frankly outdated sales model. It's resolved with me thinking, "Ah, fudge it. I'm gonna cancel my two subscriptions and find another product." </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Essentially, I stopped caring about the product, and stopped believing in the brand. None of the client service team even bothered to explain what the product was that I'd inadvertently ended up with (despite me asking three times), never tried to gently prod me into accepting it (which I was open to for quite a long window), and never showed a shred of empathy towards me for the pain-in-the-arse inconvience this all was. Over the course of a week and a half, I went from evangelistic believer, through backslider, to pagan.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Surely you can't go round being inflexible, obstinate and uncaring with customers in the age of social networking. Well, perhaps you can, but surely it's got to get ugly for you if you do. Ugly in that you will lose not only customers: you will lose yourself the opportunity to engage a giant merry band of enthusiastic, natural salespeople - people who simply like you and what you do and are happy to shout about it. So, worst case, and depending on how much you pissed them off, your now ex-customers may spout about their bad experience with their own expanding merry band of friends, acquaintances, and friends of friends (that didn't exist just a few short years ago). What's certain, however, is that they won't be sharing how great you and your gear is.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Here are the conclusions I drew from my intercontinental minidrama: </div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Dinosaurs still walk this earth: yes, there are still companies out there running their business like it's the '90s, in a rundown, dated part of the Internet, with loud, obnoxious, hardheaded people put in charge of client services, by likeminded managers and owners</li>
<li>These dinosaurs will die out soon if they don't evolve: taking a hard, inflexible, no-discussion line with your customers is just plain stupid</li>
<li>Following the standard 'social media marketing plan' is not enough: a funny picture with your message; cool and interesting content; retweets and shares are good, but if you've got a reputation as an a$$, because you act like one to your customers when it comes time to get down to business, that's the reputation you'll earn. "Oh, look - the a$$ has posted a cool video. I'll watch it then go elsewhere to spend my money."</li>
</ol>
<div>Funnily enough, I'd actually planned to write how being nice actually gets you a lot further in business this week. Sounds like a good topic for my next blog...</div>
</div>
<div> </div>
<div>I may be wrong: being too open and willing to negotiate with your customers may be a can of worms not worth opening, bringing on all sorts of trouble and bother for your company, not to mention bottom-line staff costs. However, I'm not ready to take on Karma like that: being nice, being genuine and being helpful to your customers is surely worth it in the long run. I agree with fave marketing blogger <a href="http://www.businessesgrow.com/" target="_new">Mark Schaefer</a> that "People will shun advertising but seek out people, companies and brands who are <a href="http://www.businessesgrow.com/2013/07/15/3-fundamentals-of-a-succesful-social-selling-strategy/" target="_new">authentically helpful</a>."</div>
<div> </div>
<div>But am I wrong? Is the company is just looking after their business by taking this set approach and not spending the extra time it would take to address my concern? It could be that I'm being impractical and unreasonable to ask a busy global company for individual attention. I'd be interested to hear what others think.</div>Sue Summerstag:suesummersmusic.com,2005:Post/44263042013-07-09T20:34:46+08:002016-10-19T23:48:42+08:00A picture is worth ----- ?Well, here's my first blog post. And as I'm preparing for a photo shoot today, my mind is on the subject of promo photos for musicians, or for small businesses in general who usually share with us the desire to stick to a tight budget.<br><br>
So, how important is it to have great promotional photos for your music project or small business? And what if you're on a REALLY tight budget? As an artist or musician it's a constant battle to save the pennies to have any kind of a hope of making some of them back, and short-cuts can be very tempting. We'll get a buddy, or our partner, or friend of a friend with a DSLR to take a few snaps of us in our living room or a nearby park. Pop them up on the website and hey presto: we can tick the 'promo photos' box. <br><br>
This <i>can</i> be fine...possibly. Like, if you're just starting out and want to just get some pics of you up on your website or FB so people know you actually exist (and are a <i>band </i>named Black Zed, not a fake entity named after a pet cat by some kid in a suburban bedroom who's spitting out loops and samples). And if you jag the right conditions and the right person, you may end up with half-decent photos, instead of ones which look like you've had your limbs cut off and are imprisoned in the stow of a rocking ship in international waters off the coast, churning out music for some psychotic, nautical Simon Cowell wannabe.<br><br>
You <i>might</i> jag it...if your buddy or your partner has a good working knowledge of their camera. And an understanding of composition for portraits or products, as the case may be, and how to handle a variety of light conditions ranging from too dark to too bright, to too many shadows, to too much of your drummer's face. Just joking - drummers are the best-looking ones! ;) And hopefully they have the equipment on hand that will help solve any problems with the above, like reflectors, light meters, tripods and so on. With any luck they'll also have an assistant who knows what they're doing to help juggle the gear and get the process over with much more quickly so you can get back to playing the music you're promoting. Or so you can head down to the pub to celebrate before it's shut.<br><br>
Chances are you won't be quite that lucky, though. Chances are you're going to be seen to be shackled to a below-decks cabin somewhere in the Pacific...<br><br><span style="font-size: 12px;">For my part, I'm very lucky that my photographer buddy <a href="http://craigcarson.zenfolio.com/">Craig Carson</a> does have these ducks in his row. When I had my first photo shoot for my solo project, Craig brought all the above gear, and more, </span><span style="font-size: 12px;">and had given a lot of thought to the shoot. </span><span style="font-size: 12px;">The shots were amazing (despite the fact I'd chucked a diva-like tanty with tears only an hour before the shoot over something that I'm sure was <i>very</i> important at the time...), and I am always getting glowing comments about them. While this does appeal to me on a personal level (who doesn't like being told they look great almost every time your business card is handed over?!), I know the professional image those photos give my music and my business as an artist is where the rubber really hits the road. </span><br><br>
So while it may be fine to use a buddy to take your photos, I can highly recommend that you put in some ground work before getting those shots done:
<ul>
<li>think about what you expect from the shoot - what you want your overall image to be (casual, relaxed, polished, grungy, hard-edged)</li>
<li>come up with a few ideas to give your photos an edge and help them stand out - eg. a different or unusual theme (such as being shackled inside a boat ;))</li>
<li>decide and discuss with your band mates what you're going to wear - you don't want some of you thinking it's black t-shirts, and others lacy dresses and pumps</li>
<li>bring a few changes of clothing in 2-3 chosen styles (eg. 1. polished cocktail, 2. casual preppy, 3. S&M) so you can try different looks out and get a range of photos</li>
<li>do a little study on the basics of what makes a good photo - check out articles from online photography magazines or blogs</li>
<li>check out the photos produced in the past by your chosen photographer - preferably ones that showcase photos in music or your chosen industry, or that are at least of a similar type and style eg. group outdoor portraits</li>
<li>eat and sleep well in the days before the shoot so you look relatively healthy (even if 'death emo grunge' is your genre, 'tis better to add dark circles around your eyes with make-up, than look like someone people would be afraid to attend a gig to see, for fear of catching some disease from your front-row spittle projections)</li>
<li>be ready early and turn up to the shoot on time</li>
</ul>
Having put in a little preparation, you'll find the results will be great and long-lasting as you'll be giving your band or business an edge in your an competitve market. And every time you hand over your business card or show someone your site and they say, "Hey, wow! You look great!"...you'll smile and feel awesome. :)<br><br>
SJ<br><br><br>
Addendum: My photo shoot today is for a new part-time project: an 'all-girl' duo with talented local Perth keyboardist and lead and harmony vocalist Dorothy Helfgott. I'm very lucky to have two other top-class elements for my shoot: the use of a superb location, the Western Australian State Reception Centre (thanks to my mates at <a href="http://www.frasersrestaurant.com.au/" target="_new">Frasers</a> function centre), and thanks to very talented Perth photographer <a href="http://craigcarson.zenfolio.com/" target="_new">Craig Carson</a>. Craig did an incredible job on my solo project photos (see my <a href="http://suesummersmusic.com/photos.cfm">Promo</a> gallery), and he was ably assisted by my wonderful photographer partner <a href="http://kensummers.com.au" target="_new">Ken</a>. Can't wait to see what today's shoot brings...Sue Summers