JOYSTECHTOOL

I had the pleasure of interviewing a PNW musician, Raymond Hayden, on Monday July 26th, at 2:00 pm for my first interview. We had a good time and my group learned a lot about his background in music, how he survived the Covid 19 lock down and his plans for the future. Since then, I, also, interviewed Dave Nichols, a local talent with many years of experience, on Monday August 2nd. On August 9th, time is to be determined, I will be interviewing, Uncle Doug Cooper. I have worked with Doug at Twin River Brewery and with the Shortcutz band at a jam, in Snohomish. Life has become very interesting the past few months and I really enjoy interviewing so many talented musicians in this area.

I have about four months booked and people are so willing to tell their stories. Also, they do post on the Group site, Matured Musicians Group. You will see a variety of postings from gig dates to interesting tidbits of what they are currently doing. I am so happy to see so many people willing to join us on the Monday interview streams. Its a lot of hard work and I love every minute of it!

I have had another photo shoot and I have posted one of the photos on this blog. I am hoping to do one in the fall when the colors are out at my friend’s stable, Happy Trails in Monroe, WA. On the 19th of August, I will be filming a video of one of my song. I am looking forward to posting it to YouTube. I have a site there. If you enter in search: Joy Ann Lajeret, you will find the songs and my video shorts or announcements on up coming songs. My website can be reached as well at: joyalajeret.com or by adding the https://www. path.

I have begun going to local gigs and posting a picture or two about my time spent there, listening to different bands’ music. My last posting on FB was a jam at Loco Billy’s in Stanwood. Alan Hatley band is a blues band that has never played my country music. He was so nervous and did not want a train wreck. He finally agreed to let me come up to the stage to play. It actually went quite well. There was a few mistakes, but the audience didn’t seem to notice. Everyone in that audience was very supportive and I was really surprised at the response to my country singing and music.

Please support your local musicians and artists. There is no higher compliment for them then knowing they are pleasing you the fans and audience! See you down the road! Mask up or stay safe with vaccines.

Today, my song dedicated to Domestic Violence Survivors released.

I hope you enjoy it. It was the first song I wrote. I hope I captured the feeling of women in this situation.

A lot has happened in just a few weeks. I have a new group Called Matured Musicians created for musicians who have been playing for years. It is a place to talk about their musical journey in the past, where they are now, after Covid 19 and to promote the music and events they have coming in the future. So far it has yielded a few members and this is just the first week. I am hoping it will be successful, because I believe every venue one can promote their music on is a good one.

I am trying to promote my own music releases, learn new programs and get my group started, as stated earlier. The trick is to watch my health by not taking on too much too soon. I think the pressure one feels when making music and promoting it can drive anyone to drink, a breakdown or even drug abuse. I am proceeding slowly and hope that I am wise enough to avoid a health crisis! My husband has had to put up with a few bouts of craziness when I took on too much, too soon. Luckily he is my anchor.

I am struggling to find a way to balance my life, my music and do the right things for my health. It is no easy task. My one pleasure is going to jams to connect with area musicians and play my music no matter how good or bad it is with a band that doesn’t know my music and has to learn it on the fly.

My next release is “Heartbreaker”. It is the first song I wrote and will be released July 16, 2021. It’s about a woman who has been abused by her intimate other and was then left for another woman. I have volunteered in Domestic Survivors shelters for years now, as a shelter and suicide crisis advocate. I have watched the policing agencies learn how to cope with domestic violence incidents, and implement new laws protecting victims. I have watched the courts struggling to help the victims, while protecting the rights of the perpetrator. Sadly I have lost a few people along the way and have left the program, a few years ago to start with my music again.

During the overriding temperatures last week, I took a break and drove to Camano Island. I stayed at an almost Airbnb to cut costs. While there, I learned how much I needed the rest with no TV, no husband, no guitar and no anything. I spent time reading and enjoying sunrises and sunsets over the water of the island. I got lost a few times driving on the island, but survived. My final conclusion, singer/songwriters must take time to just think and rest. If you do not, you will have challenges you do not need. Trust me on that!

Now that the first five songs are on their way to being released, the last one in August, I have gotten use to the process and Chad the producer has learned what I want when I put a song together. They will be releasing after August’s release, “Butterfly Wings on Flowers.” I wrote this song to my husband because I could not leave the house to buy him a card.

Please be sure to help artists by listening to their music. Be sure to let them know if you liked their efforts. We cannot continue to record our music without the help of our fans! Also, please join our group Matured Musicians, the people interviewing are amazing musicians from all genres. Thanks to everyone that has helped me so far! See you down the road.

Southern Hurricane was released today.

Pre Save Southern Hurricane Releasing June 11, 2021! Please touch Save to get this song pre saved. Thank you!

It has been an interesting journey. The 27th of May, I did a photo shoot with Michael Englehart at Infinite Eyes Photography. It was a challenge since the room was dark. But I got several great photos and the one above is an example. I enjoyed the experience at Decade Sound Studios. The studio has a great area for taking photos, but it tends to be minus natural lighting. Still, there were a few really good shots.

I have been busy learning how to promote my music and everything else, seems to have to wait its turn. Yesterday, I was recording in Chad Quist’s Luscious Moss Studio. I have two more songs to get produced by Chad and will have the album out in December 2021. That is my goal for now. I have a song, “My One Desire,” I am hoping Chad will play on his grand piano as accompaniment. I am very anxious to hear what he does on that wonderful instrument.

Right now I am working on getting my store set up; so in the near future I will be able to sell my music online and eventually will have merchandize for sale too. The whole process means, I am learning new technologies day by day. It is a scary but exciting time. I hope to promote my music even more, with better results. I am hoping I will be able to gain new fans and listeners along the way.

When I give a new song to Chad, he develops the song per my specifications; but being gifted he goes above and beyond in the tasks I give him. For those of you looking for a professional producer or master of many instruments, Chad’s studio is the place to go. Also, Decade Sound Studio in Tacoma, Washington, has other features you may be interested in. Just check them out online. The cost is reasonable and the dedication of Shad Woodman is notable.

More news will be coming down the pike shortly. As for now, My song” Southern Hurricane” is releasing in a few days, June 11, 2021. The song was written after I found a drink called ,”Southern Hurricane” to give to Jessica Lynne Witty to make at her Rebels fan club stream, after she asked me to come up with a drink. While she was mixing the drink, I thought it would make a great song title and wrote the song. It is about a strong woman who goes to have a drink at the local bar to relax after a long hard day at work and decides to ask a good looking cowboy for a dance.

Stay tuned for more information as I continue my journey of song writing and learning to promote music on a shoestring, without a record contract. Until we meet again, have a wonderful time listening to music and supporting independent artists of all genres!

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I went to a new studio after hiring Kira MIchele a Singer/songwriter in the Tacoma area, to teach me marketing for my music. She knows how to market her music. Most importantly, she has the voice of an angel and she stirs you to laughter or tears depending on the song. To be able to learn how to get my songs heard and marketed, I turned to someone I knew was doing an excellent job at accomplishing her goals. If you get the time to listen to her music, you will not be disappointed.

When I walked into the Decade Sound Studio yesterday in Tacoma, I was first attracted by the comfort of the studio. It has everything musicians can possibly need. I am hoping to get pictures and a video made for my album, when it comes out. Having seen the video Shad Woodman is making for Kira, I know it will be of exceptional quality. I am very excited to be able to work with Kira’s manager, producer and camera man, Shad Woodman. They are a powerful duo.

I need to begin the promotion of my music soon. Chad Quist is an exceptional musician and producer and his talents are being wasted, along with mine, when we have so few viewers. I realize it may take time and I hope I do not run out of money before this journey is even started. I love the whole process of creating my music, having Chad produce it and play on it, as well as the other artists I hire, then releasing it on platforms. His talent and mine should be available to as many people as possible. Therefore, I am working on it by trying to learn everything I can, about the process.

One of my new songs I am currently working on is entitled, “Thinking about Leaving”. It is a song about the problems women face when their intimate other is a workaholic. Being alone is hard enough, but to have to give up intimacy when you are young enough to have needs, can be a deal breaker. Hoping to bring the issue to the listeners attention, I wrote this song.

The other song is about a Arab Stallion that a woman falls in love with and wants to train to jump. I have given it the title of “My One Desire”. A perfectly good name for a horse, too. I first learned to jump horses, at St. Benedict’s Equitation Academy. I had ridden every summer for two weeks in the High Uintas Wilderness area in Utah, with a trainer and learned to train horses as well, while working on a Bachelors and Masters of Science. I really do love a good horse and owned an Arab stallion, named Tambour (which means Drum). Unfortunately he loved the ladies so much, he ended up gelded.

Also, My song Southern Hurricane is due to be released on June 11, 2021. It is about a secure single woman entering her local bar to relax and maybe dance a few country dances. She sees a person she likes and decides to ask the good looking cowboy to join her in a dance. I have walked in her shoes a time or two.

I am continuing my journey as I bring you through the high an low moments of starting a singer/songwriter’s career. For the people out there that read my posts and listen to our music, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart! Music is my soul talking to yours,

Honky Tonk Happy Hour

I am ready to ask you to pre save the new song releasing on May 7, 2021. I am happy to release this song written by Jessica Lynne Witty. This was the song created by Jessica Lynne Witty to be the Rebels fan club’s theme song. I decided it was something that would be recorded by one of her fans as a gift to her for all the support Raymond Hayden (her husband) and Jessica Lynne Witty have given this fan.

Since our last visit, I have been jamming at the Twin Dragon, in Duvall, WA. This type of playing and/or jamming can be very challenging. No one may know your music and it doesn’t turn out the way it should sometimes. Some of the problem belongs to the band players and some of it goes to the jammer. The people at the jam, have been so forgiving and kind in their comments. I had a great time on Friday April 30th, 2021.

I had a new guitar, an Epiphone ES335, it is called Blueberry Burst . My amp was not quite geared to the sound. The new monitors were cutting in an out. Since not playing these songs for 14 months it was a bit rough. Certainly not studio quality but the audience loved the music, anyway.

It has been almost a month since my first post. My second release, Honky Tonk Happy Hour will be out May 7, 2021. This song was written by Jessica Lynne Witty. I am waiting to see what the response will be to her song. So far there is not a whole lot of activity taking place. I do not have the money to run expensive promotions and have no idea how to get the ball moving, further then it has. It is discouraging to say the least. But I am determined to continue to write the songs I seem to have in my mind. Even if only a handful of people hear them, as long as I can or have the money I will write them.

I am certain the people listening at this point, do not know they need to put them on a playlist. The more times they are played the more information the artist gets to target listeners who may not know the music is out there. I did have a small amount of listeners on YouTube and hope that when it is posted overseas there may be more.

I have begun to jam with area bands. It is a way to find musicians, if I want to create a band. I am hoping that this will be possible. I have a leg that needs attention. So it would be several weeks or months before I can play and sing my music in a band setting. I am an older writer and all though it seems like the odds are against me, I am moving ahead and forming a band is the next step. The problem is often finding a lead and drummers are a scarce resource. So hopefully luck will be with me.

I have a preview of my third song, Southern Hurricane. I am singing this song at jams and hope to spark some interest. Hear Preview. Please hit follow if you like the song! Also if you scroll down on the preview you will see all previews of my songs to-date. This song is mine entirely and I cannot wait for the release. If you get a chance, please listen and leave a comment here. This will help me understand whether it is something that is liked or not. Until later, stay safe and stay healthy. Thank you for the support you have given me!