“Everything comes to him who hustles while he waits.” – Thomas A. Edison

It was a busy week, early starts (by my standards!) and a few late nights.

It is disheartening when you get to Sunday night and you are tired before the week has begun again. At the moment I do a lot of to’ing and fro’ing – Money spent on traveling and doing jobs here and there that not only aren’t very rewarding in the purse department, but also not really related to what you want to be doing with your life.

At 33 years of age I am still hanging onto the frayed wire of working towards what you love, and not giving into the settling for the better paid jobs….and it is hard. Some days you feel like a right loser because other people younger and less intelligent than you are clearly more successful (put aside whether they are happy or not!), some days I would love to go back a decade and do something completely different – and I know we have all been there.

However, some days you can feel positive and totally inspired, that nothing will make you feel bad about yourself and where you are on the career path, even if you have taken the long way round. For me, that is when I am going to the studio..or working on something fun and creative. But I don’t have the pleasure or luck that I get to do these fun things every day! And Yes as a human being I occasionally focus on the negative rather than the positive…because that is the sort of stupid shit that we do!

Some days though, you get a call about a job that fills you with so much excitement that you don’t care whether it is paid or not…and it undoes any bad days that you have to contend with…I had a well paid commercial job fall through on me, which I foolishly was counting on, but on the same day I got a text from someone offering me a Backing Vocal gig…I love doing backing vocals, and it is with someone very dear to me….which I will come to…

But before I come to that, I would like to add that I have met people who are further up the tree than me and clearly don’t deserve it because they are not very nice people, or haven’t worked hard enough – and that is me being honest. That doesn’t make me sound very nice BUT I can tell you when I meet someone who I believe has worked their socks off…and are a good person…and do deserve it, I will champion them. I will become their cheerleader whether they want me there jumping up and down chanting or not.

So…The long winded way round to what I want to say this evening is to introduce you to someone who I believe deserves a big ‘woop!’. A banner that says ‘You Rule!’. Someone who not only is a good, honest person but bloody funny, and such a laugh to work with…That teamed with being, in my opinion, one of the top vocalists I have ever heard live, and a talent that has never given up, that has just grown brighter as the years have passed to the point that the talent and skill she has is ridiculous. The volume that can come out of a tiny blonde lady’s chops?..I mean it is unfair! An inspiration to me and many people in her life. She has worked her ass off and has travelled up and down the country more times than I can even begin to imagine…..I have done a lot of that, but she wins hands down. She has shared the nights where you get off stage and were made to feel shit about yourself because of other peoples ignorance. Has juggled a family and a career…and never asked for more than the opportunity to work hard. And she bloody well does. Plus she has great taste in music (she likes my songs – hee hee!)….and is there with a kick up my backside when I am getting tired…after all ‘Everything come to him who hustles while he waits’…apparently! We will see about that Mr Edison…But for now will keep hustling.

I am thankful for the opportunity to work with her and learn from her, plus she gave me my first ever job as a member of her girl group (back in the day) when I was ready to give up after knock backs…..and apart from all of that she is one of my best friends. She has taken the rough with the smooth and still to this day champions me which means a lot. We genuinely are happy for each other if something good or exciting pops up…and put things in perspective when we don’t get the job…or our own way.

Her name is Louise Warren..she doesn’t need me to shout out about how good she is, and she doesn’t need me to explain why she is great but like I said I am her cheerleader whether she likes it or not…so there!

Check her out – add her, explore what she has online, and enjoy her music…..

http://www.louisewarren.eu/Louise_Warren/Welcome.html

https://soundcloud.com/louise-c-4/06-bitterness-rising

https://soundcloud.com/louise-c-4/04-the-bells

https://soundcloud.com/louise-c-4/03-let-it-go

https://soundcloud.com/louise-c-4/02-like-an-angel

https://soundcloud.com/louise-c-4/10-is-it-love-youre-after

Plus keep updated on my facebook as I will post our B.V gigs on there – www.facebook.com/hannahwhitemusicuk

Have a marvellous week all….may it be full of fun stuff that makes you happy happy happy.

Hannah x

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I’m not playing Musical Stares!

Happy Thursday Bloggers!!

I finally got back to the studio yesterday with my fabulous Producer Mr Nigel Lowis. We are starting on a jazz album which we are writing together, as well as picking out some hidden gems to cover. Not only do we work quite quickly together but are always on the same page…I am so lucky to have that with a music partner as I know many a writer who has sat down at a table thinking ‘This is it – today I am going to write a hit!’ to end up staring at a stranger across the room….It feels like a wasted day, and a knock to your confidence as a writer. But with Nigel I always know that our day will start with a cup of tea and a lengthy chat at the kitchen table…maybe a few more cups of tea…and then we will get engrossed in an idea for a song that fills us with excitement.

Sometimes within the hour we have made a start – sometimes within the hour we have written something….but the thing that always remains the same is that we laugh, a lot!

I am sorry to appear all gushy about how great it is – but I genuinely feel so privileged that our paths have crossed. He was working on Mainstream Pop records and I was working in the world of Rock as a backing singer. We met in a pub through a mutual co-writer and started chatting…ends up that our passion in Music is Jazz and nothing linked with the world we were currently residing in musically.

In this industry, I am sure like most, you get to meet a lot of bullshitters. People that will try to knock you back for their own gain. Those that play nasty games to become successful. I am proud that I don’t behave in this way, I would be mortified to think that I could hurt someone to benefit my own career…and maybe that is why I am a complete unknown. I have been on the verge of being signed to a label a number of times, and always something has happened. At the time I would be upset and lose faith that I am any good at this silly job I have chosen! But then again, I do believe that everything happens for a reason.

It has lead me to work with Nigel, and he too, like me, is not a bullshitter and besides having a huge success as a producer still remains to this day a down to Earth individual. He has been extremely influential in his career to many stars, and for artists like myself watching him work is crazy and an honour! He is literally a musical genius, and you can see him put together the most beautiful orchestral arrangements in no time. He truly is an inspiration and what better way to end the week (nearly!) by sharing him with the blogging world.

You can check out some of our work at:

http://www.youtube.com/hannahwhitemusicuk

http://www.facebook.com/hannahwhitemusicuk

Enjoy Friday tomorrow all..and Have a great weekend x

Girls can watch ‘Game of Thrones’

I never liked the song that goes ‘I don’t like Mondays’ – But as a child of the 80’s it’s been in my life a while now. I was too young to appreciate the punk era and I always found it a bit durgy compared to my mix tapes of Prince, Madonna and Hue & Cry (Yes, Hue & Cry!), that were always full of carefully chosen happy tunes to jump around to.

So why is it that on a Monday when it is cold and wet, dark far too early, and the first day of being back at work properly, I find myself humming that tune. Obviously the Monday part fits and Mondays do seem to suck most of the time, but I annoy myself that instead of getting in the car and putting on something that I can sing really loud to, or something that is going to make me smile, I gravitate towards anything that will make me feel even more miserable. Why does Misery love company? Surely I should notice it and then give it the people’s elbow?

But enough of my Monday Blues and how I should be… It is January so therefore that means that most of us are skint, our livers are in the recovery position and the rain just shouts ‘Don’t bother coming out here!’ We are all in the same boat. So…for me, staying in with a DVD on a Monday night is the best medicine – and doesn’t cost you anything. Even better, a box set that you can just lose yourself in.

I bought ‘Game of Thrones – Series 1 & 2’ as a gift for my fiance for Christmas – yeah yeah I know we are way behind with the times! Being a girl I thought it would just go on and I would sit there half watching it, maybe nod off, get a bit of work done but I thought it was incredible. The acting is superb and the fact I totally generalised the sort of people who watched it as ‘Fantasy’ geeks (Nothing wrong with that just not my sort of thing) and everyone saying ‘My liege’ every other sentence, I am so so glad to say I was wrong. We ended up doing a episode marathon and finished two series far too quickly.

There is not one weak link in it, I was suprised to see an actress from the Soap Opera ‘Hollyoaks’ in it as a substantial role, and she was really good also. Even the children in it are good, not annoying at all. There are so many brilliant characters, most of which are horrendous shits that leave you wanting to shout at the TV. You will also see some great British actors in it that pop up throughout, and you can play a great game of spot Jerome (from Robson & Jerome) which took me about 5 episodes until I realised it was him…along with Finchy from ‘The Office’.

The only thing I will advise you on, if you are thinking about watching it – choose wisely WHO you watch it with…yes it is really gorey, which is wicked and literally keeps your hands in front of your face til it is safe to look again…I say choose wisely because there are a lot of sex scenes. Sometimes completely unnecessarily, but could prove uncomfortable viewing if you’re going to watch it with your folks. Also, watch it with someone patient because you will find yourself saying ‘who’s that?’, ‘which son is that? (there are a few characters that look so similar).

The commentary is a good option too, some of the actors are really funny – and hearing them in contrast to a really intense scene enables you to watch it again in a different way.

I cannot wait to get stuck into the next series, it’s a great gift for anyone so get stuck in. £30 at Amazon.

Warning: You will start to talk like you are a knight…but embrace the inner fantasy geek, it is much better than being a misery guts….especially on a Monday.

I bid thee Good Night My Lord. xx

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Game-Thrones-Season-1-2-Complete/dp/B007V3OXTI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389055864&sr=8-1&keywords=game+of+thrones

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

I have always wanted to write a blog…and found that when I sat down to write it I was trying to home in on my career (I have about 7 jobs) and focused on what it is like to be a singer/songwriter pushing for recognition. Feeling too old in auditions, too fat, too short, too tall, too dark, too pale…and all the things you face in the entertainment industry on a weekly basis.

Instead of sounding negative (Not meaning to, but almost sounding like a ‘poor me, isn’t my life tough’ blog or even worse ‘Look at me – isn’t my life fantastic’ blog!) I have decided to just focus on the things I love. I love working with music, teaching, making stuff, learning languages, living in London…..and all things Beauty! And the amazing people that I get to have in my life, whether it be work or play – People with so much talent and skill that it makes me sick, and frankly it would be rather rude of me not to show them off and share them with the blogging world.

Also, I am seeing 2014 as a year of progress and possibilities, I am recording/writing a solo album, I have secured a new acting agent for West End work and I am hoping to start a TV/Film make up course in London (So bored of temping sitting behind a desk to make ends meet!)…Oh, and I am getting married next year!! Obviously this will fit into my blog for anyone it may interest, but with all these things going on surely it will lead to meeting new people, experiencing new things and new products/software for me to give an insight into OR a big thumbs up/down.

To start off, now the festive season is a distant memory and the flat has been turned back to normal from being a Fairy lights showroom, I know many a girl on Facebook who’s status refers to laying off the Carbs or going to the gym. For the first year ever, I am resisting the need to panic… in fact I am so bored of every newspaper showing models in their bikini’s to make us mere mortals feel shit about ourselves just in time for New Year and in line with celebrity workout DVD’s being released. I am the biggest I have ever been, but even when I was on a constant diet and skinny enough that I looked a bit lollipop head, I still thought I was a fatty. So as far as most of us are concerned, we are always finding something to moan about or want to change about ourselves. So no, we cannot win. I easily have 2 stone to lose but it will take time so why rush!?

I enjoy fitness but can’t afford to join a gym nor want to be a gym bore. So I do the Jillian Michaels’ DVD’s, which I love and some of them are only 20 minute workouts. You feel really energised afterwards and they are a good way to ease you into a healthy lifestyle whilst kicking your own ass at the same time….The highest level will hurt for a few days…and you get the bonus of feeling secretly smug that you got through it, as a non gym bunny.

For those who may not even want nor have time for a 30 minute workout, I saw a free app on the App Store which is the Seven Minute Workout.

There are a few on there but the logo looks like this:

I tried it this morning thinking it may be a waste of time, (Not sure 7 minutes is enough time to do anything!) but I really liked it….and it is free. I am not sure how much I would use it but it got my blood pumping, woke me up and made me feel ready for the day. I am always there ready to make an excuse not to exercise but with this if you are too busy for a 7 minute workout then something’s wrong…It sends you a push notification to say ‘Got 7 Minutes?’ which kind of guilts you into at least considering doing it…and that is a start. It gives you little challenges like doing the workout 3 days in a row/Try a month doing one every day if you want to turn it into a game by being rewarded and punished. The trainer isn’t too annoying and just simply tells you what to do in bursts of 30 seconds (jumping jacks, squats etc..) with a little breather in between. When you’ve completed it you think to yourself ‘That was quick!…and easy..I might do it tomorrow.’ I am not a fitness expert by any means but I am not sure how much change you will see doing that every day, but I think I might do it when I am really busy and don’t want to feel bad that I haven’t been very active for a few days..It’s no Jillian Michaels workout but anything that gets us off the sofa gets a thumbs up from me (she says sat on the sofa).

I have so much that I can ramble on about which I have found over Christmas but I’ll just add one more thing as I have rambled enough!

A Therapist friend of mine gave me the best present for Christmas..It is the Ciate Mini Mani Calendar. I love it so much that I wanted to add it on here. It is on sale at the minute at £21 which is a huge bargain so would recommend getting it, will save you from buying any new varnishes for a while – There are 24 Ciate Mini Nail polish’s all hidden behind doors (I sneaked a peek like a naughty child) and is such a nice gift…or a treat for yourself.

Here is the link if you fancy having a look. http://www.ciate.co.uk/mini-mani-month

I’ve got ‘Amazing Gracie’ on today, which is a really nice nude colour – especially as my nails aren’t in great shape at the mo. Took about 3 coats, although would look nice less bold.

If you wanted to buy it on it’s own it is £9, and here is the link…http://www.ciate.co.uk/amazing-gracie

Enjoy your Sunday evening all…and in the words of Ron Burgundy ‘Stay Classy’.

Hannah x