Thank you

Sometimes I don't see how my babysitting career could possibly be helping my music career. Except that it pays the bills most months and keeps me sane.

But at the end of the summer one of my families gave me a gift certificate to our local bookstore as a thank you gift. It was really nice and I had such a great time just browsing the stacks, touching all the paperbacks and new releases. It was so nice to know that I had $50 to spend on books that I couldn't spend on electric bills or groceries. So I savored the browsing and contemplated buying dozens of different titles. But when I saw The Artist's Way I knew I would get it. I've been wanting it for a long time, but for some reason have never bought the book and started the program.

But now I'm one week in and already figuring out so much about my own creative life and history and potential and my blocks. And wouldn't it just be perfect if this book gets me to the place where I write my first hit, but that I only had the book because one of the families I babysit for gave me a gift certificate to a bookstore? Yes, that would be perfect. I must write a hit so I can use that angle for the publicity tour. I can just see it now. Nanny Montanta on top thanks to babysitting job!

Kids know hits.

Joey is 10 years old and interested in my music career. He likes to ask a lot of questions about my crazy fans and hecklers and give me advice about attracting people to my shows,  like: "You should bake cupcakes and give one to everyone who comes to see you." It's really hard to argue with that. People love cupcakes. 

The other day Joey asked me to give him a little preview of what I've been working on lately. I sang him a chorus of a new song, one that I'd written with a hit writer from Nashville. Joey really liked it. He said that it sounded like something you'd hear on the radio. He said it was a lot better than anything he'd heard on my CD. He said I should get busy and record that song. And if I've learned anything from this double life, it's this: Kids know hits. 

For example, I was driving recently with 4 year-old Lizzy. Taylor Swift's "Love Story" came on the radio and she had never heard it before, but urged me to turn it up. "Princesses, love, what is this?" she asked. And then we were at the library and I was trying to deal with the stroller and she was spinning in circles on the sidewalk singing "la la prince and la la princess, love story la la yes!!"

Mega #1 hit and she heard it and loved it immediately. So I'm gonna listen to the kids. They know hits.