Tips to Write a Song

In Case You Missed It

This is my all time favorite movie quote:

And I mean it. I love it. It reminds me not to dwell on the past and move forward with things. Within one's own life (and apart from some very important lessons) I believe this to be a sound practice. We need to move past anything that's holding us back and get on with it! 

I've had to redo a lot of things. Seems every year or so, I'm reinventing the wheel and trying on something new.

When you work really hard to get something off the ground, you hope you never have to go back to that place of incubation and launch again (large scale).

 But, stuff happens. You don't know where life will lead you. Mine led me to a new state and town, and with no band. So what does that mean? 

New opportunities! New Growth! 

I could,... I can,...

Ok, well, maybe not like that. 

But I did launch that new series on Youtube, with new songs underneath to got with it. So, just in case you missed it, here they are:

I hope you Enjoy!  -- Don't forget to subscribe and push the notification bell! 

Oh, and I've started a Patreon page too. So if you're interested in that, here's the link: https://www.patreon.com/amykurylo

Thanks!  ~ Amy

The Jukebox Kitchenette

Do you subscribe to my youtube channel? 
If not, you might want to take a look within the coming weeks.
I'm starting a new Youtube series called, "The Jukebox Kitchenette"!

So excited to share with you tips and tricks for a small kitchen, recipes, and some original music to jam with. It's gonna be fun, quirky, and person-al-i-T!

 So subscribe and tune in for the fun! 

For right now, you can go check out my channel and watch videos from RCJ or just take a look around. Enjoy! but don't forget to tune in for the debut.

  It's gonna swing!

Reading for a Living

So, for the past few months I've been auditioning for books and finally got my first book recorded. It's a great feeling to have accomplished something like this. Why?

1. Honest Work - it really is. If you think it's easy, you should try it sometime. 
2. Use of the Studio - my studio is great for music projects, but it's nice that I can use it for something else, like another person's project, once in a while. 
3. Experience - I've always loved voiceover work, and this is something I'm good at.

You may be asking, "Wait, you've been auditioning for months and JUST got a job?" 

Well, actually, yes and no. See, I got my first job doing a romance book, but the book was too racey for me and I had to turn it down. I've also been asked to do erotic titles (because of my deeper voice, I guess). 

But, yeah, it's hard to get voice over work. The competition is high and there's a lot of talent out there. 

I hope to do more of it though. I really enjoy working in the studio.

New blog

If you want to keep up with my writing and stuff, check out my new blog.

wouldbecomposer.blogspot.com

However, I would like to say that my new adventure isn't without it's bumps. I thought I could let this blog go, but it turns out, I have to keep it going. Can't reinvent yourself to often or you never get anywhere. It's sort of a catch 22.

You can't get anywhere unless you move forward, but you can't move forward unless you keep one foot firmly planted whence you came.

So, for now, we shall see what new adventures I shall have. You can read about them here and there.

Caio

Back in the saddle again...

!Wow! 

4 years and no posts?! That's sad. However, I have not lost out on anything. I was WORKING.

So what am I up to now? Well, if you go to amykurylo.com. You'll see I've released a new CD called "Child of God".

It's available on  iTunes, google play, cdbaby and a bunch of other places online.


I've also just started a podcast called:  Reverie Stories

This is a collection of original children's stories with music, sound fx and vocal talent. Should be a lot of fun! Hope you'll subscribe.

The Silver Lining

I am so excited to tell all of the King's Quest Fans about the fan-developed game I was a part of called "The Silver Lining". Created by Pheonix Online Games, this game takes you back to the Green Isles and the family from Daventry created by Roberta Williams. Graham, Valenice, Rosella and Edgar are all in it and it's a free download. I hope you enjoy some of the character voices. You may recognize the narrator...


Check out Amy's Website to see where she's performing next!

Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland

The River Cities Jazz Band played at the Music in the Park stage on July 5th and 6th. It was a magical, fantastic event. We performed in late afternoon on both days and got a considerable crowd. The backstage hand again were so kind. One in particular, "Gus", was even kind enough to show me how to say "Could you turn me down in the monitor a little bit please?" But, I never got the opportunity to use it. Perhaps if he told me how to say "turn me UP!"

We played our hearts out on the second day, knowing it was our last performance at Montreux and the the tour. I sincerely hope I get to go back soon. I truly enjoyed the people and the culture.

Check out Amy's Website to see where she's playing next!

Basilique Saint-pierre in Luxeuil Les Bains, France

Getting to do a concert in such a grand building could send chills down any performers back. On of the most amazing performances where I signed autographs for so, so many people. It was here that I also left the stage to be closer to the people. They seemed to appreciate the removal of boundaries.

One of the songs that River Cities Jazz does is Aquarius and I can tell you that it was haunting in this setting. David Poffinbarger (our bassist) does an amazing job most any time, but in the beginning of the number is a bass solo, so this was where he really shined!

Enjoyed the people immensely. Patrick (the organizer) and the others involved in the concert were incredibly kind to me and to the others in RCJ. I truly hope that we are invited back there soon.

Check out Amy's Website to see where she's playing next!

Theatre Sylvia Monfort in Saint-Brice-sous-Foret, France

Fantastic place! This was a great gig. The stage hands knew exactly what they were doing. Everything from the lighting to sound was top notch and we truly appreciated it all! One of the thrills of getting to do this job is meeting true professionals and these guys did an excellent job. Thank you SO MUCH!

Check out Amy's Website to see where she's playing next!

Newton-Aycliffe

Room to move! I really enjoyed this gig because I had the opportunity to engage the audience right out there with them. I love doing that. Being able to dance and sing while flitting across a large area is so nice. I was also able to get some of the people to sing with me, which is always fun. RCJ played fantastic as always and some would say that it was our best gig of the tour.

Check out Amy's Website to see where she's playing next!

Liverpool

What a fantastic city! So many different cultures all mingling together in a cultural stew pot. The concert was a fantastic opportunity to showcase the talents of our horn players as the acoustics were pretty live, so they had to show some control. Still, it went off without a hitch and because our opening act showcased a few of our numbers, we had to pull some tunes out of the hat on the fly. We also performed one song we did not at any other concert: "You'll Never Walk Alone" It seems that it's the theme song of their sporting events. We were thankful that we did it well. Everyone sang with us. It's amazing what hundreds of people can accomplish when they all work together - in pitch even!

Check out Amy's Website to see where she's playing next!

Heswall Royal British Legion Concert Suite

This concert was so much fun - Playing for a packed house always is. The River Cities Jazz Band gave it their all, even though we were still a bit groggy from traveling so much. Still, we had a very warm reception and the people of Heswall enjoyed a fantastic concert. Play on RCJ!

Check out Amy's Website to see where she's playing next!

General thoughts of the European Tour...

Now that I've returned from Europe, I'd like to give a recap of all the beautiful places I saw as well as the wonderful people I met. A definite impression was made from each location on me and I would relish the opportunity to go back and perform again in any of the places I had been.

First and foremost, the people. I met the most interesting, kind people. Staying with families like Bernard and "Cat" was amazing. My first real English-style tea was delivered while I stayed with them. Their garden is amazing! A fountain adorns the left side of the landscape and some of the most gorgeous Ivy I've ever seen.

I stayed with Pauline next. Her home is gorgeous! She has murals on almost every wall with different scenes and artwork.

The rest of my time was spent in Hotels, but it was still a wonderful experience being with my bandmates in River Cities Jazz - Who by the way, were tremendous!

In France I met Sebastian and Eric - both gentlemen were very kind to me. I'm hoping to get to see at least one of them again when I go back.

The scenery that divided the landscape can only be described as majestic, gorgeous and full of history. I was allowed to tour so many interesting places. A distillery in France where they specialize in Kirsch and Absinthe. A town that the Romans built and still has aqueducts and tombs in it. Stone walls that separated farmland. Scrolling billboards in Paris. Hidden grottoes. Castles. The Swiss Alps. Lake Geneva. Exotic plants. The Montreux Jazz Festival.

*sigh* I'm determined to go back and have a decent handle on French when I do. I'd really love to get to know the people I've met on a deeper level and to perform again for them giving 110% more.

Check out Amy's Website to see where she's playing next!