Hello if you’re out there and thanks for indulging me by reading my first blog.

As a fairly new blogger, I guess the idea is to fill you in on all the warble-tastic excitement from my singing adventures.   To be fair, I don’t actually know if any of you will, in fact, be interested in what I have to say but if you are… I promise try to make it as interesting as possible by giving a low-down of the people I meet on my travels, noting any notable music I think you should hear or to just generally give you an update of how my little musical world of self-employment is progressing.

So, the aim is for blog posts to be intelligent and witty insights into my world but, knowing me, I’m sure I’ll also slip in the odd amusing recount to keep you hooked.   Like, for example, the time I inadvertently flashed my pants to a group of OAPs at an outdoor gig on a very blustery day. Or I might, perhaps, type a loving ode to the wonderment of being offered a much-coveted complimentary gin and tonic after a gig.

[Note to reader: At the risk of sounding like an alcoholic... Ah! There is nothing better than a cold G&T after singing for 3 hours.  Therefore, if I have nothing better to waffle-on about, be prepared for a few full-on descriptions of how I managed to procure said nectar.  Ha!  I really do sound like a woman with a problem!]

Anyway, back to the task at hand.  Here goes…

For any of you that don’t know me, I’m a singer who has spent the last two years attempting to make a decent living out of doing something I love.  And, after the last few years, I’m immensely  glad to say that I’m still living the life of the self-employed and the dreaded credit crunch and recession hasn’t taken me down yet.

Phew and let’s have a gin and tonic to that! (Really don’t have a problem… it’s just the sunshine tickling my taste-buds!)

Anyway, for the first time in a while, I actually feel pretty relaxed about not knowing where my next paycheck is coming from and it is a nice place to be!

The reason for this new mellow outlook on life (and I usually am a bit of a stress-ball), is credit to a number of positive factors.

I’m thankful for having some regular gigs in the diary, a fab network of musicians and the time to be involved in a lot of projects as, all of these were my goals when I first started on the road to being a self-employed singer.  Now, I think that it is because these things are gradually coming to fruitition that I really do feel that with every new gig, my voice is starting to hone into a well-controlled instrument and I’m developing more confidence in my ability.

Glad to say that 2010 started off with a series of gigs at some of my favourite places to sing - Delia Smith’s restaurant,Broad House Hotel, Shanghai Blues, RAC club to name but a few, and I now have the tools to be getting myself out there a bit more.  We are motoring!

Other smiley things that are happening at the moment is an upcoming recording sesh with fellow warbler and muso – Robin Phillips.  We’re hell-bent on pushing our jazz vocal duo, Kir Royal , forward this year and so it was time for a new demo to give us the right tools to promote.

Will keep you updated on how that all goes but I’m expecting it to be a lot of fun.  I love the experience of going into the studio to record as this is one of the times where I really feel like a proper singer.  And this time round, I’m recording a couple of my absolute favorite jazz tunes so I’m skipping with excitement!

Along with the new website, new blog and new demo, another ‘new’ thing that I’ve just started doing is twittering. (Not to be confused with whittering… which I am told I also do frequently!)

I have spent the last month trying to get my blonde brain around the whole ‘tweeting’ concept and I’m now at the stage where it amazes me on a daily basis.  Just the thought that there could be anyone in the world who could pick up my tweet throws open a exciting world of opportunity and, already, I’m tweeting musicians from all over the world.

I have no idea whether any work will ever come of all this online activity however, I do know that at times, in-between gigs and during the cash-strapped days self-employment can sometimes feel a little lonely.  Somehow, knowing that you have a real-time connection to the outside world does provide a little bit of excitement.  Check out @kvcjazz or click here if you’re interested in what I have to whitter… I mean twitter about.

Not that I want to bombard you with stuff but if you are interested, you can also check out my brand-spanking new website for upcoming gigs, my Facebook events updates and, of course, this blog (which I will try to remember to update regularly!)

So, all things considered, it’s all a bit smiley over here at the mo!

Ok so now that I’ve broken the seal and have written my first blog-post I’m going to leave you in peace and will get back to my Sunday.   I’ve already written over 1000 words and I’m in danger of properly whittering-on.

But, before I go, I’m going to give you a little musical recommendation to be going on with.

Fear not! For those of you who are not jazzers, these nuggets of info won’t always be jazz-centred as I do have quite an eclectic musical taste and I promise to mix it up from post to post.

But this week, as I AM a jazzer… and this is my first post… you’ll just have to let me have this one.

So, emerging from my speakers at this precise moment is Liane Carroll‘s newest album “Live at the Lampie” which is turning out to be a perfect soundtrack to inspire my whittering-on.  I want to mention her to you as I really do think this woman is a genius.  Check her out if you would like to see what I’m aiming for.

And that, my friends, is all I have to say on the matter. (for now!)