Dope Writers - Ester Dean

Ester Dean is another nice young buck with the pen. Only 24-years-old, she has penned or co-written huge records for artists like Usher, Trey Songz, Rihanna, Keri Hilson, Ciara ... and the list goes on and on. In 2009, she even released her own single "Drop it Low" featuring Chris Brown. Here's one of my favorite records this year that she graced with her pen or blackberry or whatever writers are using these days.

Just a Thought

"I told him that I loved him on Christmas
Though I fell in love with him when leaves were still on the trees
The fruit was succulent and my days were free
Funny how we hold on to it
The words ... Even though we know and show it with every part of our being
It's amazing he couldn't hear my heart say it through the rhythm of its beats
Beckoning for him to love me
Too
Christmas was when I decided to admit it 
Although I submitted way before then
To his intense persistence of my time, my care, my interest
You see I've loved him for a while"

-A. Coleman

Progress

 
Progress … to advance toward a higher or better stage; improve steadily.  As the New Year approaches, we are scrambling to figure out how to do things better in the year to come. But how often do you take the time at the end of the year just to see how far you’ve come? Most of us want to be better, achieve bigger things, but if you aren’t thankful for the progress you have already made, you won’t appreciate it as much when you reach that ultimate goal. Now I say this guilty as charged. I am constantly looking for my next break or the next thing that I can be proud of. But I am slowly learning to appreciate each step. Even if I don’t yet have the hit in heavy rotation on the radio, I can listen to songs I wrote when I first started compared to those I write now and say “wow” look at my progress. I told myself that if I wasn’t progressing at a steady pace within three years of graduating from college, that I would hang it up and go for my Masters degree. But the reality is, I’m moving on up. As musicians, producers, songwriters, etc., we often have the huge spotlight in mind, but you honestly do have to enjoy the journey. As one of my mentors recently mentioned “I’m moving in big circles, with people doing big things.” Yet somehow I still find myself taking these things for granted. Patience is truly a virtue that I pray on everyday. So as this New Year’s eve approaches, I will not only be thinking of the adjustments I would like to make in my life, I will also reflect on the progress that I have made so far.

Dope Writers - Bruno Mars, Grenade

From now on I'll be posting some of the dopest writers (in my opinion) in the game every week. I have been sooooo stuck on Bruno Mars for the past couple of weeks. I love his lyrics and production. His  production team is called The Smeezingtons. He co-wrote of course "Nothing on You" and one of my favs "F*** You" by Cee-lo Green. And to top it off, he is nominated for seven GRAMMYs this year. My hat has been tipped. 

I Don’t Sing Neo-Soul

I am not your sister, I don’t have a wide variety of incense, and I don’t sing neo soul. I find it so funny, how just because you have natural hair people have all types of assumptions about you. I mean, I never thought that I would be the girl that was happily nappy. I’ve had a perm since I can remember, and the only reason I went natural was because in college I dyed and relaxed my hair too close together and it fell out. I have never had trouble growing hair, and I even had mishaps like that before but something this time was different. Also, in college there were a lot of Black girls that were natural so I said what the hey. I shouldn’t even tell you that in my mind I thought, “Oh if it’s too nappy, I’ll just relax it again. I wasn’t on a spiritual journey and I didn’t even understand how much of a slave I was to my hair until I went natural.

When I first cut it, it was still straight. But the first time I washed it and it shriveled up I thought “God what have I done.” Lol. But I stuck it out. I had very special people in my life that were supportive and I just had to fish around for the right products and Voila! I found confidence.

So I’m saying all this to say … I am not some type of natural guru. I’m not a vegetarian, I don’t smoke weed, or any of the other stereotypes that people have about girls with natural hair. I write pop records, love ballads, mid-tempos I have a wide variety of music that I listen to. Yet so many people I have met, the first thing out of their mouth is “Do you sing neo-soul? First of all I don’t sing!!!! I don’t know why or how, but often people assume I sing. And second of all, natural does not equal neo-soul. I’m just a regular girl that just happened to realize that her Black is beautiful.

Some things I do believe are that, Black women do fall victim to thinking that they aren’t good enough. Not many support the natural texture of Black people’s hair. We are constantly weaved up and a lot of it just doesn’t look good so I refuse to believe its just fashion. I think that a lot of young women are afraid. SO many women have asked me, “How do you do it?” or “I just could never try it, I want to but …” Dammit I didn’t think so either. I just went out on a limb. And I love my natural hair and I also like to straighten my hair every now and again, but I realize now that it’s for the right reasons.

Confession: I actually thought that not as many men would like me when I went natural. WRONG. Men just dig women. Period. Most aren’t too particular and as long as you’re fixing the fro up right, they’re still going to try to holla. And you don’t even know how often they just want to touch it. White people, black people, whoever, they’re all fascinated by Black hair probably because they don’t see it like this often. I am just starting to get used to people just wanted to touch my hair. But I just don’t care anymore. Go for it, get lost in the sea of tight curls and have a ball. I am just me, not your neo-soul, your tree-hugger, or whoever, just Ashley with a spectacularly, dynamic Afro.

Writer's Block

I don’t really believe in it anymore. I mean, I definitely know that sometimes your creative energy flows better than other times. But I can’t remember falling victim to writer’s block in a very long time. At Temple, I took a class called Poetry as Performance that changed me as a writer forever. We had to write poems based on videos, pictures, looking in the mirror, anything you could think of we had to figure out a way to express it. It was then I really understood the phrase “inspiration is for amateurs.” And that doesn’t mean that “professionals” write uninspired pieces, I just came to realize that I should be inspired by everything. From looking into the eyes of a stranger and wondering what’s their story to the journey of a leaf that falls from a tree above me, I can write about pretty much anything. But what I have fell victim to is feeling unmotivated to even pick up my pen (or turn on the notes in my iPhone in this technical day and age). Sometimes I run from writing because I fear that if I put it down on paper, that my thoughts have now taken on a life all their own. And so it’s not that I can’t come up with anything, I just keep my ideas locked up. Sometimes I’d rather write someone else’s story than my own. Writing is a very vulnerable place, and as opposed to some outside power “blocking” my creativity, it is often times myself. Apprehensive about what the words come to mean when they come out of my head onto paper, onto a track. I fear that the thoughts I conjured up might actually be truth. Until someone else embodies the pain, joy or uncertainty that I am writing about, I feel like I am exposed, stark naked with the spotlight on me. But I could get use to being naked, it’s freeing. Lol. And so here I am … telling the stories of our lives, writer’s who?

Tone Trump Ft. Freeway & Dilemma - Time To Go (Official Video)

Making moves, making moves. Shout out to your favorite producer's producer. lol.

Willow Smith - Whip My Hair

I mean you can't really hate on this. The video is tasteful and the song goes hard! What more is there to say?

A Night Out- A Separate Sun

Ever felt like you had no one and were under a separate sun than everyone else? I have surely had the feeling that I don't belong anywhere. Tonight I went to see a play by the name of A Separate Sun, written by Joseph P. Blake and directed by Lenny Daniels with music by Bill Jolly.
The play was about an addict and her struggle with her past that she needed to overcome to combat her addiction. A small ensemble of just three actors, I was captivated by the story. The music was a driving force that made you feel every high and every low. And the voice of actress Joilet Harris, kept you glued to the stage.
The play portrayed an important relationship between a woman and her childhood. That special and sometimes tragic connection that we have with our past. Jamara Griffin, just 13-years old took us from the innocence of childhood to the often tragic memories of sexual abuse seamlessly.
But all in all, as director Lenny Daniels put it, it was a story of recovery. This idea sprang to life when Harris broke into "How I Got Over" which had the whole crowd clapping and singing along in triumph.
Even if your battle has not been drugs, I think we have all in one way or another recovered from something or experienced feeling like the cloud was only over your head. With a simplistic, minimal approach, this play tells the story of many of our lives, and if not ours, the lives of people close to us. I think it was an excellent way to spend a Thursday evening and I hope you can get out to the Arts Garage before the play ends on Saturday Sept. 11th!

Our Biggest Fears

The good kid. Growing up, I tried to do everything perfect so that no one would ever have to tell me otherwise. I didn’t want to disappoint. School, is the biggest part of your life for at least 13 years … Yes then there’s college and graduate school and blah blah blah. But school was it for me. I was a great student. Pretty much stayed with straight A’s always the teacher’s star pupil, cried if I got a B. I just wanted to be good. Great. As I sat at my brother’s high school graduation, I was in 8th grade, I saw that there were some students sitting on the stage. They were the ones getting awards. I decided on that day that when I graduated high school I would be on that stage. Four years later I won two awards when I graduated from high school. I’d always remember hearing about graduation honors in college. I decided I wasn’t leaving without at least a cum laude. I graduated magna cum laude from Temple University. I saw someone tweet or facebook or whatever today that “being an over achiever is exhausting”… Well it’s true! After school I was smack dab in the middle of the real world trying to find my place. Where it seems that all the straight A’s, cum laudes, and awards don’t seem to matter all that much.

I thought that if I decided to be a songwriter that would happen for me right away too. I mean I had set precedents here. But it doesn’t, it didn’t and here I am on the proverbial “grind” trying to make it happen for myself. And regardless of how slow I feel it’s going, I am on the right track. I am in the middle of learning patience and appreciation. My biggest fear has always been being ordinary. I realized that all the academic success, and being the “good kid” was so that I would stand out from everyone else. What will I do if my life is not extraordinary? It’s something I try not to think about often because my eyes are so deadest on the goals. I am so fortunate to be where I am, and honestly I’m only 24 years old even though it feels that somehow I missed my prime, I realized I have only begun to even catch a stride. Slow down child … is what I know some older person would tell me. But when I think about making music and doing something that I love everyday and making a living from it I just can’t. I need to get there. The studio is my new stage. Every time I step into one I am hoping something magical comes out and that each day of mine will never be like the last.

What I have started to realize is that there is no one like me. That is what makes me the most unique, the most different, the most extraordinary. And this doesn’t mean I’m not dead set on hitting Billboard within the next year. But I know that I have truly been given a gift. A gift to tell stories, to use words creatively, to hum melodies with my non-singing self. Lol. And with this gift there is no way that I will be kept from sharing it with others and so I’m a success even with the work that is still to be done.

Just A Little Light

On a seemingly gloomy day in the good ole city of Philly, my attention was turned to the sky ... where just a little light seemed to be showing through. Sometimes that little bit of light is all you need to keep going.

BLAP Event in NYC

I am super late posting pics. But things happen, what can I say? Went to NY to support one of the best producers in Philadelphis (Even tho he's from Wilingboro) Dilemma. Mr. HelloWorldMusic was the special guest at the Beats Love Alcohol Party at the Katra Lounge, hosted by Illmind. There were some young, up and coming producers showcasing their beats as well. A nice event for music heads, and a trip to NY never hurts.

Just A Thought 8/2

I thought I might stop breathing
Everything went dark around me
I wasn't even thinking
Did I say what I just think I did
Are you still standing here?
I don't think this room's ever felt this big
It's like I'm in a war of one

And if I die tonight
At least I know I kissed you once
Got lost in the feeling of your charismatic touch
And though it seems too much
To think about as I lay on the side of this road
I can smell your cologne as if you're laying next to me
I can feel you breathe
And yes I may be deceived
But imagine the things you can see if you believe
I am not alone
Even without the sirens in the distance
All I have to do is remember
Reminisce about the night I kissed you

Paula Campbell "Just A Man" (Official Video)

Check out the new single by Paula Campbell "Just A Man" from the album Rebellious Romantic, produced by Carvin Haggins and Ivan Barias. Written by Carvin Haggins and Ashley Coleman <---That's me! lol.

The Booth

The booth is an interesting space to exist in. A dead room. Made so that the sound waves will not flutter or have harsh reflections and to scare the crap out of people like me who have no business in the booth. I am a writer. A songwriter. And as much as I would like that to solely involve my pen and a page, that is not the case. I often have to go into the booth to lay reference ideas for songs that I am writing. Only for another singer to come in and lay the idea over. The booth has been one of my biggest enemies in the past. I mean literally, I would lose my breath, get sweaty palms every time I went in, which does not help you sound better at all. And after listening back to a nervous, breathless recording, I gained even more disdain for that tiny box with a microphone. You would think I was the most terrible singer IN the world, when really I’m not it just comes out AWFUL in the booth. Lol. But this year, this lifetime, from now on, I’ve decided that I am no longer afraid of anything. And although this proclamation is going to take some time, I am confident that I am going to indeed overcome this hate, hate relationship with those four walls, within four walls. That in addition to taking some vocal lessons should really do the trick. The booth is a very interesting space, jokes are made, autotune gives confidence, and confessions are blurted out especially when it's dark, but the most important thing that happens in there is good music is made. That is now my focus. There are great words on my pages and somebody gotta sing em’.

Never Shout Never - Can't Stand It (Video)

Absolutely LOVE this song. Check it out!

Validation

In the moment that I reach over to hand the CD, USB, iPod, whatever medium to the consumer I think my heart skips a beat. I have truly learned what being an "artist that's sensitive about their ish" really means. You pour a lot of you into the music that you create and at the time when you're ready to let another person in on it, it's a very vulnerable place to be. We want people to like it!!!! No matter how much you tell yourself that the music is for you and blah blah blah, most of us wouldn't be in this if we didn't want to share our stories and ideas with the masses and hope that they too might identify with if not all of it a piece of what you're presenting to the world.
Validation is something that drives this whole business. Artists, producers, executives, writers ... we all want to be validated. By our peers, by our superiors, by that random person walking down the street bobbing their head to our song in their headphones. We are constantly looking for approval. I've noticed when I play something for someone I probably don't breath until they start to nod their head in agreement to what they are hearing. And it doesn't stop. You might think that it is only a downfall to being the person who is trying to "make it." But it's not. There have been plenty of times when people have played things for me seeking my opinion and in my head I'm thinking "What the hell do you need my opinion for???" I mean these are seasoned writers and producers but they constantly have to make sure that what they are doing connects with that counterpoint in another person.
And so I'm not really sure what the point I am making is. lol. But it's just an observation I made after being told that "it constantly seems like I'm trying to pass a test" when I am presenting an idea. I'm seeking agreement, validation that most other people are often seeking as well ... why?

ERIC ROBERSON - "STILL"

This is definitely a crazy video. Nice to still see videos with concepts but a bit of a tear jerker!

Worth a Thousand Words

Apparently I missed the rainbow today. So a friend of mine sent me this pic. Missed out on that pot of Gold I guess.

Just a Thought 7/9

Just some blips of things I've written. You know the deal.

"Dear Lord I prayed today
Prayed that you'd remember me
for some time has passed"

"And I'm dumb for thinking I could find something better
So dumb for writing you that dear john letter
Wish I would have seen the grass was brown
Before you met her"

"So in a moment of weakness
I let curiosity defeat us
Caught up in the lies of lust
Until enough was just enough
So we cried and we tried to reconcile
But the damage was done
And here we are
Floating aimlessly
Our love decapitated
And new love sprouting
From the mess that was created"

Carvin & Ivan: redefining T (new) SOP

Check out this story on my mentors in this writing thing. So blessed to be working with some of the best in the game!

Carvin & Ivan: redefining T (new) SOP

The Small Things

Often in life we like to make things very complicated!!! But if you really just get down to the nitty gritty, you realize that life is simple. And so I try to enjoy the simple things in life. Sunshine, Gelato, making music, all things that make me insanely happy. Our time here is way too short. I refuse to stress about anything anymore. It's honestly just a waste of time. Our success, our failure, our heartache are constants in life that never really change. It's all about your outlook, your next step. So while you contemplate how to figure out all the complicated things in your life, at least stop by Capogiro for a tasty delight that will definitely make you forget about all your problems at least until the end of the cup. lol.

http://www.capogirogelato.com

Worth A Thousand Words

So I have this pic as the wall paper on my phone and it makes me so happy every time!!! Check out the Piazza when you get time, it's such a nice area. Took me forever to get down there and now I often just want to go chill on some lawnchairs on a fake patch of grass. lmao.

Worth a Thousand Words

One of my favorites pictures. Taken by Jay Smith ... a very talented photographer. Get at him!

Just A Thought 6/30

I was really in my bag for this one. lol.

"If matter can't be created or destroyed
Tell me in what forcefield has he hid my heart?
What altered space time continuum can change how quickly we fell apart?
Where's the Pythagorean theorem that will bring me back to him
Tell me what algebraic equation that explains the value of my ex?
Cause all I'm coming up with is a zero
If I go, will this compass take me in the right direction?
Someone who can show me more than the humanus erectus
If I educated guess this
Love is as real as imaginary numbers
I'm hoping I will stand corrected."

A Year

Never be afraid for things to take a year. lol. I know that sounds weird but some of the best situations for me have taken a year to happen. I mean I met Carvin Haggins a year before I actually got in the studio with him. I was probably ten times more ready after letting a year pass. Where some might have gotten discouraged, I just kept it moving and eventually the opportunity was there for me.
In a another situation, there was a job that I was supposed to start in the summer of last year. Well somehow that didn't happen either. About 20 failed job offers and a year later, I'll be starting that new job on Monday. And I'm probably more prepared for that then I was a year ago.
I guess in all this I am learning patience. Great things come eventually even if it's not at the time that you think it should be. So getting songs placed, meeting the person that can take your career to the next level, learning an instrument can take a year, maybe 2, maybe 10. But keep it moving and it might still happen for you. Or in the time you're waiting, you might find something else, something better, something meant for you...

Just A Thought 6/24

So I was on the train yesterday and this is what came out...

"And so I know this is the end for us
But with endings there are constantly
new beginnings
I've decided to let go
In hopes that His love will catch me
Or that I can land silently in some other time
Free of any and everything that kept me bonded
Unable to see
Or believe
In what was meant to be"

"Today the world stopped
At least for a minute while I listened to you speak
Or saw you mouth the words because I couldn't really hear
Hear past "You can't"
It seems the other words were unnecessary
But somehow too heavy for me to carry
So I put the burden down"

Erykah Badu - Green Eyes

Another great performer, producer, writer! One of my favorite Erykah Badu songs. And I don't care that I look like I listen to Erykah Badu. lmao.

Aerosmith - I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing

Written by Diane Warren ... an iconic songwriter

Women in the Music Industry

So through an internship that I did with Jr. Music Executive, an awesome non-profit in Philadelphia that helps youth explore careers in music, I’ve met a lot of other aspiring female music industry professionals. Well a few of us decided to start getting together every so often and talk about up and coming projects that we are working on, how we can help one another, etc. And as gay as it might sound, lol, I actually like the idea of it. I mean no doubt we live in a male dominated society and so in turn the music industry is male dominated as well. There is a lot to look out for when you are trying walk this career path. There are a lot of people that don’t necessarily care about your talent … For instance being at an “Unnamed Studio” and exchanging numbers with producers that hit you up on some very unprofessional terms. Like are you really serious right now dude? So it’s nice to feel like you have an alliance to fall back on. Some type of security that makes you feel like your not going through things on your own. I can’t tell you how many events I’ve been to and I’ve been either THEE only woman or one of two. Hopefully just a few friends getting together can turn into something bigger, maybe a summit for young girls that might not be the next Beyonce but the next great A&R or engineer. I mean even as a writer it shocked me that so many men, write a lot of the great women anthems that we dance to in the club and bang in the car. I mean, seriously? We can’t even write our own songs? There are a lot of great women in the industry doing their thing, believe me, but I also think that there is room for a lot more. All that feminism I just wrote will probably hold me over for about the next six months, cause it’s really not my fight of choice normally, but I just wanted to put that out there…

JUST A THOUGHT

As a writer, I often think of random lines during the course of a day. Some make it to songs, others just end up in my notebooks. So I'd like to share at least one on the daily with yall!

"I must have loved you before
somewhere else, some other time
How else could you so quickly
occupy three quarters of my mind"

The Roots - Dear God 2.0 (Official Video)

This is a very powerful video. Gotta Love The Roots for continuing to do what they do!

New Joint by Paula Campbell