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SORA

*Tell us a story behind one of your songs*.

I love this question, because one of my songs literally came from a story, a children’s story to be exact. The Birch's Lament was inspired by a story my husband wrote for our children. The story itself is marvelous, a fairy tale of how the birch tree came to be marked. The story centers around an orphaned baby girl left on the steps of the castle, who is taken in to become a washer girl. Liselle is her name, bright and cheerful, loved by all except for the young prince who is jealous of the attention she receives. When he tries to punish her by asking for his clothing to be washed in the water of the cold creek, it turns out to be a boon, as Liselle enjoys being outside in the sun, amongst the trees. One night she falls asleep and awakens to find that the trees of the grove come alive at night and dance. It is here that she meets the birch prince, and dances with him every night in the shadows of the moon. I will not rehash every delicious detail but in the end Liselle sacrifices herself to save the trees she loves, in true Grimm's Fairy tale fashion. The markings on the birch? His love letters to her "Come back to me love, I miss you so". I was so entraced by the entirety of the story, I just knew it had to be a song. I had the chorus "Dance my princess, dance Liselle my love, Dance Dance with me" in my head from the very beginning, but the rest just would not come for months and months. I was hung up on telling the story, especially because it is an involved and complicated story. Then one day as I played that one little line on the piano over and over, it came to me, that I didn't want to tell a story from an impersonal third person perspective but that it was the emotional connection of the characters that made the story so poignant. It was the Birch Prince who needed a voice. The story would be incomplete in the song, one-sided, but deeply personal and emotional. After that, the lyrics and melody just flowed and it was finished within a couple of hours. All his longing, all his introspection, all his remembrance, all his love, all his perspective, which we never get in the actual written story, are in this song. The story itself has been illustrated and is being published this year.

*What do you listen to when you are at home?*

I have very eclectic musical tastes, so I can be found listening to everything from classical to rap. Really it depends on my mood. When I am in an upbeat energetic mood I often listen to pop, rap or dance music, top 40 sometimes, other times more indie. When I am feeling introspective I listen to new age and world music. As cliche as it sounds, I have a whole lot of Enya and Loreena McKennitt albums. I love classical music, and listen to that when I really just need to recharge myself. I played violin for many years and so have a disportionate amount of violin concertos among my classical albums. My children often enjoy listening to classical music as well. More and more I am attracted to indie artists, in any genre, the music often feels more real, more heartfelt. It's difficult to even try to categorize what I listen to, when one genre can contain so many different small niches. In the end I listen to music I find inspiring, music that is evocative, music that is beautiful. Genre and artist don't matter to me as long as the music is well written and touches something within me.

*Who or what has influenced your writing significantly?*

I think my writing is most influenced quite simply put, by nature, by the environment that surrounds me. Almost all of the imagery I use in my lyrics is taken from the natural world and I try to imbue my music with small moments in time, the way the sun dapples through the forest on a summer day, the sight of a cherry in bloom. That perhaps seems a bizarre answer to that question, but I think writing music for me, has been away to capture fleeting moments in time. Musically, my style has been significantly influenced by Loreena McKennitt and by the journey she takes with each album. I am drawn to the idea of constant evolution within an artist, and the music written, while maintaining an essential core. That, to me, is why Loreena's music so compelling.

*What highlight in your songwriting/performing could you share with us"

Along the way, there have been many highlights, moments of pure bliss. My path has been quite varied and segmented, as I played piano for quite a while in my youth, and played violin quite seriously for a number of years. It seems a bit false though to reach so far back into my musical history for highlights. I honestly feel as if through discovering I could sing (in my 20s), I have discovered myself, a discovery that is momenumental. The highlight of my songwriting has been quite simply, sitting in the studio and hearing the interplay of my musical forms with the embellishments of world class musicians. What a thrill, to sit and hear your music coming to life, to be a part of the creation of music that came through me, but becomes more than me as soon as someone else plays it and interprets it. I have been so fortunate to work with producer, Douglas Romanow, whose talent and experience make this "work" delightful.

*What have you learned that you could pass on about songwriting/performing experience?
Don't be afraid. The best songwriters and performers, seem to be able to get past the notion of "doing everything right" to simply live in the music, in the moment. They are not afraid to walk down untread paths, to follow the music where it takes them. They try new things, without the fear of failing, and have moments of true brilliance. I try to remember this every time I write a song, every time I step into the studio, every time I perform, to let go of "perfection" and be bold. We are all going to have moments that suck, but taking chances is going to push our compositional skills, our performing skills to new heights.

*Any tips or advice you could give to songwriters?*

Always be true to yourself. As a songwriter, as a musician, there is always going to be a ton of feedback, both positive and negative. Everyone will have a different opinion about what you should or shouldn't do. In the end, if you can say that you stayed true to yourself, if you worked to quite simply carve away all those aspects that were not you, then you will find your audience.

*What plans or goals do you have for the next year?*

The next year promises to be a very exciting year for me. I am in the process of recording a full length CD, to be titled Heartwood, which will be pressed and available in 2009. I am very much looking forward to promoting the album online and in performance. My website and myspace are great places to get all the latest news!

*Where can we buy your CD?*

My CD can be purchased on my website www.corvidmedia.com/sora, on my myspace www.myspace.com/sorasinger as well as on CDbaby www.cdbaby.com/cd/sora2

Email: info@calgarysongwriter.com

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