What’s Goin On
The music on my album is almost 100% finished. I am so blessed to have it mastered next week by the legendary Bernie Grundman (who earned 37 Grammy nominations in 2005 alone). -Thank you Bernie and to Paul Grundman for putting your heart into this.
It’s surreal. I’ve worked on this record for almost a year and here it is. After flying back and forth from Atlanta (which I so dearly miss by the way) to LA, the music is almost complete. Thank you everyone in Atlanta for your support and friendship through this. Thank you to everyone in LA as well, for believing in a small town girl’s dream.
I don’t even know what to think right now except that I am very proud of this record. I feel that it truly encompasses who I am. Myself and everyone involved (you know who you are) have poured blood sweat and many tears into this project and I am just sitting here in awe when I listen to it. There are so many memories for me as listen, because I gave you my heart in these songs. The stories are real and this is my life. I gave you how I feel in the depth of my soul-all poured into this 74 minute disc. I can only hope that it moves you the way that the songs have moved me. I can’t wait to let everyone that worked on this, as well as friends and fans, hear the finished record. The album will be released by the end of the year (we just have a photo shoot, CD artwork and some promotional stuff to do first). I will keep you posted on the CD release and the tour.
It’s very interesting to me how the closer I get to achieving everything I’ve ever wanted, the more I realize what’s really important in life. When I first moved to LA, all I cared about was my career. It was as if nothing else mattered except making this musical dream come true. I wanted to heal the world, or at least move people, one person at a time with this gift and I sometimes let relationships suffer because of it. I still want to use this gift in the same way, but I’ve realized so many things. These are things that I knew in theory, but until you live it and experience it, you don’t get it. I still have a lot to learn but here are some of the things that mean something to me.
All the fame in the world won’t give you true happiness, and all the money in the world won’t buy you love (or save your soul). The most important thing is your health, because without that, you won’t be around to enjoy any of it. Without love, life is meaningless. The people you meet and the people you love are everything. It’s that conversation with the stranger you met in the grocery store, or the way that someone broke your heart and yet you somehow still love them, that changes you. It’s taking the time to really listen to the 5 year old when they talk to you, or the 10 year old, or the 15 year old….How often do you really listen to what your loved one are saying? And what I find quite interesting is that the things we hate most about others, are most often the things we posses. The more passionate we are about despising that behavior, the more likely we have it. How’s that for a mirror?
What do you see when you look in the mirror? Do you see all your flaws, or have you really looked for the essence of YOU? Your smile, your joy, your giving heart, your ability to love, or just love life…
All I know is that I believe in love. As socially taboo as it may seem for an independent, strong woman to say that out loud, I will say it anyway. The most important thing in life is your relationships, God, family, friends, lover…whatever. Next is your health; so even though we’re young and fit, let’s be gentle to our bodies. After that at least you’ll know that (A.) You’ll still be around, and (B.) You’ll still have people you love around to enjoy the fame and fortune (that you worked so hard for) with!
Aria Johnson
