Tish Oney's Music Blog

Where does it come from? How does one channel it? My bursts of writing "inspiration" have been sporadic in recent years due to the fact that I just haven't made myself available to do it as often as I would like to. Last night I was bitten by the writing bug and wrote out three new original songs in their entirety, and nearly finished a fourth which still needs a bit more work. Granted, it all happened in the middle of the night, which is when Mozart (and many other composers) historically found the best time to work--no distractions, everyone else is asleep, and being slightly tired can be a major help in finding the "zone"... Yes, songwriters may be sacrificing their sleep but if that's when the music comes, who are we to argue? I am thankful to have something to create and contribute as I plod or skip along my pathway in life (whichever mode of locomotion it may be on a given day). Now that I have all these new songs (I already had several others i...

Jazz Seasons is my newest show compiled of my original songs and others from the Great American Songbook, musical theatre repertoire and contemporary jazz. Woven throughout the selection of music one finds a seasonal theme--not just that of the four seasons, but also of life's seasons. From time to time we discover we are passing through a season of joy or perhaps a season of grief. We are blessed to accept a season of growth, but often loath to face a season of pain. This show gently and joyfully takes us through a variety of seasons and helps to show how the songwriters and lyricists of past and present wrote songs reflective of those inevitable passages we all face. While preparing this show I found myself suddenly thrust into an unexpected season of grief and pain, so several of the songs originally planned had to be replaced by others as an act of consideration for myself. Instead of grieving I had to perform, so given that there was a limit to my ability to compartmental...