Tomaca » Indie Music Artists

It Irks Me…

tomaca — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 14:00:36 +0000

I have a profile on ReverbNation. Every week they send an update on the profile stats – how many fans you have, how many plays you’ve had, your position on the charts locally and globally, etc.

I have 272 fans and 208 plays. Do the math. That means that other artists on the site and just go around clicking themselves as fans on people’s page looking for reciprocation to build up their fan numbers and they don’t even listen to other people’s music. I think that is so corny, so fake, so ph0ney. It irks me. I’d like non-genuine people to just stay away from me.

No thanks to the holiday Thanksgiving

tomaca — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 01:07:31 +0000

My son chose to fast today in protest of the traditional american holiday because it marks the beginning of genocide of millions and millions and millions of people. I was so proud to hear of his choice. Praise be, even a young man can see the truth through all the b.s. that we a inundated with by a commercial society.

This morning I reflected on the people who came before us as I listened to African music, Native American music and music ranging from chain gang songs to field hollers. The music created by such powerful and resilient people who withstood tremendous horrors and attrocities. My ancestors. Pepole who are stronger than I could ever pray to be and who paved the way for the rest of us.

I have been exercising and working out now for four weeks. The flexibility is slowly returning to my body and today, for the first time in years, I danced to the African music. I danced in appreciation of them, my heritage and my rebirth and reawakening to who I am. I remembered that I am a dancer. I remembered that I AM the music that they play. It is my soul. I remember and I am so grateful.

The whole american idol thing is nonsense. Music and singing is not something for just a slated few to become “stars.” It is an expression of gratitude. All of the natural people of the earth sang, played instruments and danced, not to become famous or to bring attention to themselves and their own greatness, but to give thanks and offer praise to the Creator, the ancestors and the Universe herself. That is why I will sing. That is why I will dance. That is why I AM and why I will give back what was given to me. Simply gratitude and seeking nothing but to serve and to give back.

I give thanks that a teacher appeared for my life three years ago. He has worked hard to chip away the cement that I allowed to enslave my mind and my thinking. He taught me about these things that allowed me to open myself to this greatness, this awareness. Things I already knew, but did not allow to be. To him I offer my humble thanks.

These things are my thanksgiving.

What time is it?

tomaca — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:57:17 +0000

I am working hard to reach my goals. They all require time and time has become so precious to me these days. I think I don’t have enough, but I know I have all there is…

I feel like the good things I want to add to my day for myself are sqeezed in and it’s like putting toothpaste into a tube and trying to get more in than will fit. I ask for the wisdom to be aware of and to allocate this precious time wisely. I must treat it as if it is water and I am in the desert.

I’ve incorporated daily exercise into my mornings. It’s been great. I have more flexibility in my body and am slowly repairing things that have been in disarray (lol!). I’ve lost 8 pounds and look forward to losing at least 8 more and firming up.

Oh, to heal my back and to get back into African dance again! Finally the goal can be real and not a ficticious dream in my head. It will happen slowly.

I’d like more time to exercise; to stretch and feel my body move – this thing that I live in. To sweat and to feel the gloriousness of it dancing to music and being its movements.

I’d like more time to sing, to open my heart to God and the universe and to feel the spine tingling reverberations of that voice go all through my entire being. It is to know God and to be one with Him for just that brief second in time because there is nothing else but that presence in the voice and it flows through me like the wind flying between two buildings. There is a burst of freedom in the light, a sensation that causes one to pause and to feel a sense of wholeness. In those moments, there is no “me,” there is something else far greater than what I am. It’s like stepping into the night sky and being surrounded by the endless blackness dotted with stars. And it is to kow that there is nothing but love. It is grace, beauty and the extreme mercy of love. Ah, to use this gift, this weapon, this medicine, this mercy - it is to be at one with all the things that are.

So, I will find creative ways to make more time by using what I have more wisely. And I will choose to have gratitude for every breath, every heartbeat and each second of being in the world of physical manifestation. This is my world and it is what I make it.

Though time moves, I do not because my soul doesn’t change. The feeling of my being, my essence, my soul does not change. Regardless of the ticking of the clock, the setting and rising of the sun, the aging of this body, the thing that is “I” does not change. I AM, therefore I am unchanging and impervious to the flow of time that passes through me and gives me experience in this existence.

I will embrace this principle and set out to order each day and make it what I need it to be so I can move towards accomplishment of the various things I am to do while I am here. My constant wish is to create and to leave love behind me so if anyone steps into the ether that remains when this body is no longer used will be bathed in light and love and peace and make it a part of their being and then follow through with doing the same. Leave a trail of light in time.

So, what time is it? It’s that time. Time to take action, make a difference and to be all that I am intended to be.

This is merely my thought and my note to myself. If anyone wants to share about what their concept of time is or what they plan to do while they are here, feel free.

The Meaning by the Music – Can't Replace A Hug

tomaca — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:00:31 +0000

I find it interesting to know what people were thinking about when they created what they created. What was the thought process or the creation process like? What did it start with and how did it evolve?

Well, anyway, I thought I would write a little about my own creative process. It’s interesting. For instance, one of my songs I started writing because I was thinking about my beloved little dog Sadyka. Oooo I loved that little baby and I miss him! But the song evolved into a love song for human beings. So, transformation. It starts with a single thought and then it floats and drifts and becomes something else entirely. Ah, such is he creative process.

You can click the link and read more.

Thanks.

Lena Horne

tomaca — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:43:30 +0000

A timeless vocalist. Young people need to go back and listen to masterful artists such as Lena Horne, Sarah Vaughn, Ella. These are real singers. Today in the 2000′s, people aren’t singing. I don’t know what they do, but the true expression of a gift has been lost with most of them. So, open your ears and study.

Soul – Lena Horne

A Letter to Jeffrey

tomaca — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 03:18:51 +0000

Jeffrey, we are both learning.

There’s this “recession,” but women still get their hair done, nails done, go shopping… It’s called a recession because now white people are being affected more and more. But, for the average person who lives paycheck to paycheck anyway, there’s nothing different. Cost of food and gas always go up, we just deal with it as it comes.

People who are into gospel music will still buy the music. Most of us are moved by emotion. If it’s good, they’ll buy it. We need joy.

Now lose the word “recession.” It’s an illusion. You are limiting your blessings by diminishing in your mind the bounty of what exists. God doesn’t ever have a recession. All of the money in the universe is still out there! It hasn’t gone away, so don’t push it away from you with your thoughts. Hear me?

The important thing is that we’re doing. Many don’t even try. They just fall into life like robots – work the job, chase the paycheck, struggle and turn off the dreams. If we got a message, got a gift, we gotta share it; that’s why God gave it to us. And, because we’re doing what we supposed to do, the rewards will be there. There are always the tests — how bad do you really want it? Will you stick to it no matter what? Will you keep pushing through the endless snow to get there? We have to get rid of all the negative self-talk. All that garbage in our minds is what is holding us back. The “tests” help us to rid ourselves of our own self-defeating thoughts and attitude. We are being trained to accept success. Believe it or not, many of us don’t feel we deserve it. So, we have to reprogram ourselves as we forge ahead with what we’re doing. Don’t get discouraged. Do what is in your heart to do and don’t let you stop you.

I won’t ever give up. I’m doing what I’m supposed to do. You are doing what you are supposed to do. If it’s what you want (and the choice is always yours – free will and such), don’t ever give up.

Write me any time.

Wanted to Share Some Flowers…

tomaca — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 19:53:50 +0000

I took a walk today to see what I could see.

Yellow and brown beauty all around me

Reaching for the sun upward through the sky

A nice little friend decided to stop by…

You know, no matter how much I block the same junk email, it just keeps coming back. Little stupid things can eat into you if let them. It’s important to take breaks, empty your mind and let the awareness of the greatness and the goodness of God come into you.

The HAUSLER/HAYOTT recording project is coming up August 21, 2009.

New Britain, CT

see http://KeeptheLightRecords.com for details.

Home Sweet Home

tomaca — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 17:47:27 +0000

I love the peacefulness and serenity of where I live. The song of birds, crickets and frogs plays all day.

My son the photographer

tomaca — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:33:11 +0000

My son and I could go out and take a walk, each with camera in hand. He will come back with some fantastic shots. We see the same things, but differently. He’s got that photographer’s eye.

He’s the official photographer for several events and is definitely one of my own personal photographers. I hope that he chooses to pursue it on a different level and learns more about the craft.

As I always say, we all have different gifts of varying degrees. It’s like my mentor says to me all the time, “You can do this if you want to, if you choose to.” God says the same thing to us throughout our lives. If there’s something you really enjoy doing, you can choose to do it and allow your gift to grow.

Unfortunately Racism is Still Very Much Alive in 2009

tomaca — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 12:36:37 +0000

Two weeks ago outside Philadelphia, sixty-five children from a summer camp tried to go swimming at a club their camp had a contract to use. Evidently, the club didn’t know the kids were largely Black.

When the campers entered the pool, White parents took their kids out of the water, and the swimming club’s staff asked the campers to leave. The next day, the club told the summer camp that their membership would be canceled and that they would refund their money. When asked why, the club’s leader said the “kids would change the complexion … and the atmosphere of the club.”

A “Whites only” pool in 2009 should not be tolerated. The club’s actions appear to be a violation of section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act. Whether or not any laws were violated, a “Whites only” pool should be something every American condemns.

I’ve just joined ColorOfChange.org in doing exactly that — will you join me, and email your friends and family asking them to do the same? We’re also calling on the Department of Justice to evaluate suing the facility under federal law. It takes just a moment to do both, here:

http://www.colorofchange.org/swim/?id=1738-927209

Obama is President but that doesn’t mean that suddenly all is fine when it comes to race in America. This is a vivid reminder of what we know still lies beneath the surface.

We all know stories like this one — similar incidents play out quietly every day in different communities across the country. The difference in this case is that folks got caught and there was a contract in place that makes for a potentially illegal act.

Standing up now isn’t just about making things right for these kids in Philadelphia or bringing consequences to this swim club (called the Valley Swim Club). It’s about creating a climate of accountability everywhere. If we can publicly shame the Valley Swim Club and hold them accountable for this incident, it will make others think twice before engaging in this kind of discrimination.

Please join me in condemning the Valley Swim Club’s blatant discrimination and calling on the Justice Department to investigate whether they violated civil rights laws. And please ask your friends and family to do the same.

http://www.colorofchange.org/swim/?id=1738-927209

Thanks.

Here are some links to more info:

“Pool Boots Kids Who Might ‘Change the Complexion,’” NBC Philadelphia, 07-08-09
http://bit.ly/90Zyr

“60 Black Kids Booted from Philly Pool For Being Black — Speak Out,” Jill Tubman at Jack and Jill Politics, 07-08-09
http://bit.ly/GkJTs

“Valley Swim Club: Day Two,” Adam B at Daily Kos, 07-08-09
http://bit.ly/qbpSA

“Section 1981 Summary,” Employment Law Information Network
http://www.elinfonet.com/1981sum.php