Tuesday

Didn't get much sleep last night. Kept getting woken up by bears and noise.... dreams and such... So was up at 8am.

But anyway, gym at 12:30pm. My mum had to exercise for 20 minutes, so I used that time and played the Amajor scale for 20 minutes effortlessly. YAY! Doesnt seem like much, but it was quite an achievement.

Thought of dividing the day between scales and writing music. But I end up just scaling the whole day.... dammit! Well, I hope to have more originals by December. I will only perform songs I am proud of....

Will keep on it!

Need to write!

And now... need to sleep...... till gym. 

Muscles

Damn you muscle memory!

I believe the song I will be hearing in my head for the REST OF MY LIFE is the G major scale.

I don't know what it is about my fingers and trying to get it right, even though it's almost exactly the same as some other scales, but I trip up! Get into my head too much! Never though I could confuse myself by playing scales.

The end results will be amazing.. it has to be!

I have days when I feel so damn lame for having a hard time with my scales, especially since I have been trying this for years! My closest friends are musicians and sometimes I get embarrassed to tell them about my struggles on the piano even though I know they would never judge me and will be nothing but supportive and helpful.

But I have to keep on going. I have to stop thinking that I am getting older and maybe I should just give up. That's some crazy Bull-Shi+3 talk. It's never too late Dasha. Just stop wasting time! Surround yourself with people who are on the level you want to be! Talk to them and be inspired. Know your place ...and then level up!

Tomorrow... A major.

Also Le Noir.

A Key A Day

I have always believed in starting from the bottom.

And this bottom, I have visited many times.

Scales. 

That is the first thing all piano teachers and pianist say I should start with. This has of course been a topic of debate for a while, and yes I have picked up and started on the theory lessons (again for the 100th time) but I have always been excited for the moment I get to put my fingers on those black and white keys.

And so, from the bottom to the top. One scale at a time.

I have been learning the C Major Scale for 10 years. So I know that.

Yesterday was all about the D Major and E major scale.

D Major done. My only technique this time was doing it over and over, up and down, both hands, 10 times in a row perfectly, no breaks, with metronome. Not too shabby.

E major on the other hand (haha) was not so fun. Think I will keep this for another week when my fingers are a bit more warmed up.

F Major was today, and you have been a bit of a bitch.... but I got you in the end. The fingering (haha I always laugh at this, because I am immature sometimes) got me at first, then I got you back.

Today while watching a tutorial (those 10 minutes a day kind) I found myself mindlessly playing the F major scale. I realise muscle memory is the goal when it comes to practice. The more you get it right, the better you become at it.

Also this is the video I watched today:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufQ3ujNgBF4

Cuz he is also cute. And like most people, I need to be told what to do at first, and this guy tells me exactly what to do down to what to do with my phone. I like him.

Tomorrow... G major!

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Shows this month : 13 (No Black Tie), 15 & 16 (No Black Tie), 20 (Le Noir), 23 (Suzie Wong)
Check out their website for more info!

Piano

SO what else is new?

It has been months since I have written and like I said above... yeah, what else?

To be honest, I got lazy and distracted with my daily life that I forgot about the one thing that has always made me happy when I was active, and always made me sad when I left it forgotten.

Music. My own. My love. My dream. 

I was going to start a new blog about how I really really really want to write my own stuff on the piano. How I hate that I am not equipt enough to do that! But I have this, and this is about my music and me and our relationship. And so, I have decided to really get into it. And I don't mean the quick "here is 10 minutes a-day practice tutorial" (which I do admit I do watch just for ideas), but really really get into it. Like getting lost in practice and hating myself when I get things wrong and loving myself when I get things right and just DOING IT like I have said I will for years.

Why is it different this time? Because I am telling you about it. And I hope you can be supportive and remind me to practice, remind me that the end game is worth the effort. Remind me that it is not too late. And with all your help, I will get there.

I am so lucky to already have people in my life willing and ready to help. Arms wide open, phones on and homes ready for me whenever I need that extra guidance.

I can not wait to tell you all about it.

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Shows this month : 13 (No Black Tie), 15 & 16 (No Black Tie), 20 (Le Noir), 23 (Suzie Wong)
Check out their website for more info!

It's almost the middle of the year!

I am back! 

Oh wait, I didn't even tell you I was going anywhere! 

I have been in London for the past 6 weeks and it was not what I expected. I did do the things I intended to do which hopefully is going to be very exciting for everyone. I did lots of other things too which I had planed to do. I watched Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak and John Mayer. I thought I'd leave inspired, but I left angry at myself for not working harder to be like them. 

From watching my idols, I realised how much time and effort and work and consistency they put in. Their concerns are just the same as mine when it comes to writing music. "Just put it out there," John said. He just told me the thing I already knew. People are not going to like everything I put out. Some may, some may not. Guess that's the risk of being a musician. The part I have not been brave to get to, no matter how many Januaries I tell myself I will get an album out within the next 12 months. 

When will this ever get on the road? Put the pressure on me! 

But anyway, on another note, here are my upcoming shows!

Tuesday, May 30th 2017 

Dasha Logan & the John Thomas Trio

Suzie Wong

9:30pm

Dress code applies 

Free entry upon reservation 

Weekend, June 2nd and 3rd 2017

Michael Veerapen feat Dasha Logan

China House, Penang

9:30pm

Thusday, June 8th 2017

Dasha Logan & John Thomas band

Suzie Wong

9:30pm

Dress code applies 

Free entry upon reservation 

Friday, June 9th & 14th

Dasha Logan 

Le Noir

10:30pm

Weekend, June 16th and 17th 2017

Dasha Logan 

No Black Tie

10pm

Cover charge TBC

My Monitor and I

"excuse me, could you bring me down?" 

I have often heard that I have the weirdest on-stage preference when it comes to my monitors. I always prefer them softer than some singers and I never thought about it until today. 

I started singing in small bars in Penang, here and there with minimum experience and minimum knowledge of what I would need when I performed. All I knew was that I needed a mic, speakers and maybe a music stand for my file (yes, my lyrics were in a file, that you flip!) and hope that the wind is kind and the lighting doesn't reflect off the plastic protecting my lyrics. There were performances completely void of a monitor and I didn't know any better. 

There was once a whole contract, that had monitors, but a mixer that was not properly working. The monitors were there for show and were never turned on (no matter how sexy I spoke) and with this, I was trained to perform without monitors. So now when I am on stage and the monitors are turned on and working, it surprises me just a little. As if there was a wall in front of me and I singing right at it and my voice is being thrown right back to my face! 

I much prefer hearing the far away sound of my voice coming from the house speaker. Ever heard your voice played back to you and think "dang!!! That's what I sound like? I shouldn't talk anymore....", I often ask myself why anyone would like my voice. Then I shut up and get on with it because I love singing and I just hope people can tell that I do when I do. Do be do be do be doooooo...

But in all honestly, what this has taught me is how to work through tougher situations. How to perform with a faulty monitor, how to carry on with a show if a monitor cuts out. Learning how to trust my voice while performing and listening to what the audience can actually hear. 

Challenge yourself. Try the difficult way and see what happens. It's through the mistakes and hardship that we learn the best. 

Private is the new Social

Social media has become so difficult. It use to be a platform to speak your mind and share ideas. Now it's an open writing ring and everyone wants to take a swing.

This is why I love blogs. Yes, I know I promised myself this blog would be professional only but before I was a full time singer, I spent a lot of my time writing blogs and poetry. Those days are long ago and far away but I'd like to bring that back.

Isnt it sad though how argumentative the world has become. And no one thinks before they speak or type or reply and oh so many severed ties and burnt bridges. This has also made people sensitive beyond measure. What is going on? 

Writing songs have also become a challenge. When writing "cleverly", it made me deliberate weather I was saying anything wrong or my message may be muddled or confused and people may take offence. The song is about how everybody lies. And if you have to lie, lie cleverly. 

"Leave your man" is easier. If he's a bad guy. And you know he's a bad guy. Or maybe not a bad guy, but a naughty one. Then leave him. 

But anyway the point of this post is to say I am going to open my mind and heart on this platform. I will of course think a thousand times before posting anything so if you are reading this, I meant you to. 

?

Exclusivity, it's easy for most but tough for some. I'm talking about everything under the sun! Exclusively eating vegetables. Eating non living things exclusively. Eating meat exclusively. Drinking wine exclusively. Warm water exclusively. Etc etc

Putting the live stories aside, I'm talking about being exclusive to musical genres. Is there such a thing? I don't think so. Exclusivity to venues. Well, I am loyal to some more than others to be honest.