Amber's Ramblings

In my studies, I am learning about various ways of thinking. The question was posed to me "do all people have a conscience" and "where does a conscience come from?".

I think people are all born with a conscience and some people ignore their inner voice so much that they can no longer hear it. I have always heard friends and family advise me to "follow my gut" or "listen to your instincts". In the text I am reading, the author Vincent Ruggiero says, "conscience is the most important single guide to right and wrong an individual can have."

Of course, there have been many times that I simply chose not to listen. When that happens, I can usually feel it in the pit of my stomach. As children, we are so sensitive to love and pain and the world around us and we do not wish any harm on anyone. There is a feeling of distinct rightness and wrongness. It is very clear. Ruggiero tells us to "follow our conscience, but not blindly." It is important to examine our own conscience for "moral growth".

As we grow older, make mistakes and get battered through life, it sometimes becomes harder to see what is distinctly right or wrong. Many people cannot tell the difference anymore and simply rely on the government of others to create laws as a substitute or the media's sensationalism to dictate what is morally right or wrong. There is a disconnect between their own sense of right and wrong and what the world dictates. There becomes moral shades of gray as opposed to of black and white.

I want to wish you all a very Happy New Year and welcome 2010! It feels like such a milestone already. I am submitting to all of the fairs and festivals I can think of for this year and the band is ready. We had our first rehearsal in months last Sunday and we sounded as together as ever. It was nice to have a small break (though I kept playing solo shows here and there) we welcomed some changes during the last part of the year and in general needed a bit of band downtime.

I am pursuing a marketing degree as well as pursuing licensing deals for the over 100 songs I have been writing for the last 10 years. I am also releasing all my music digitally for now. It is a lot of work but I love it.

Last year I had the honor of meeting and performing with some wonderful and talented singer-songwriters. Grace Woods and Vanessa Verlee.

I hope to see you soon. Take care and many blessings for 2010!

Amber

Labels: amber snider music

It's been a while since my last post so I am just checking in... I have been hard at work with my band "The Hypnosis" preparing for a show in S.F. next week as well as preparing to record my new cd. The studio is about 90% finished with minor software compatablitly issues sneaking up. Why are we expected to upgrade every other month anyway?

That's a topic for a whole other day...

The rain started leaking through my roof but thanks to a little roof tar, it's all good. No big deal.

I wrote a new song that I really like. it's called "Over The Hill". Two older people looked at the title with suspicion????? It's really a positive, uplifting song about the trials and tribulations, et all... So it's for everyone who's trying to make it.

I am excited to finally record some of my now "classic" material. I CAN'T WAIT!!!

Also, I am looking forward to Brooke Aved flying in with her band from Live Music Capital, Austin, TX next week for the SF show.

Wheeeeeeeee!

Well that is all for now I suppose. Peace out and much love.

Hello there, just wanted to check in. I've been hard at work building the new studio with my God-father, musician F. G. in Vallejo, CA. This project has been a year in the making. It is nearly complete. I can't wait to record there. It will be very rewarding because so much energy has been put into it. I can't thank him enough for his love, generosity and spirit.

I have a few shows coming up which I am excited about. The Solano County Fair on Wednesday, July 11th, 2007 at 12 & 3pm at the Delta Stage.

I also have the honor of participating as a judge at the Solano Stars! Competition Saturday, July 14th at the Solano County Fair and will be performing one of my original songs there as well. Move over Paula :)

I was nominated in June 2007 for a Musician's Choice Award

USA4real Artists did an honarable mention of me on their website

This year is flying by and I am planning a Fall mini-tour so please stay tuned. There are always a few pans on my griddle.

Amber
xoxo

A few weeks ago an old friend, Erica Kennington called me up to ask me to sing the National Anthem at a basketball game. For the past 7 years she has been involved with the Napa Spinal Cord Injury Network (she just celebrated her anniversary - congrats girl!) At first I was really nervous about it but decided I couldn’t think of a better way to use my pipes. I was very glad to help out. So, though slightly overdressed and full of steroids (allergies hit me bad last week), I arrived at the Napa Valley College Campus ready to sing the mama jama of all ceremony songs in the college gymnasium. Having practiced like mad in my bathroom and even bringing the lyrics in the shower WITH me, I managed to get all the words right and hold all the notes that needed to be held.

I was sooooo nervous because I wanted very badly to inspire them but ended up being inspired BY them. A lot of the basketball players have had spinal injuries since they were children. Others were more recently injured. In either case, it was inspiring to watch them play a sport with as much vengeance and heart as any able bodied person and then some. Coming from a person who has been blessed enough not to have experience much pain in the bodily injury department, I cannot imagine how it must feel to have to fight for the simple bodily movements that are taken for granted everyday. Just imagine all the hours of intense physical therapy that coincides with those kinds of injuries that completely changes a person’s whole existence. But there they were. Dribbling the ball and shooting hoops out of wheel chairs. It was an amazing thing to see.

The event attracted local political supporters, such as Napa's Mayor Jill Techel as well as a few Napa council members sporting uniforms along with the rest of the team. Napa's Mayor, Jill Techel even played along side of the team in a wheelchair. Once again proving how much she cares about her community. I think she's the coolest mayor ever (definitely got my vote).

Please read the Napa Valley Register article here

Thank you again Executive Director, Ericka Kennington and the Napa Spinal Cord Injury Network for letting me be a part of your game!