I am so excited to be writing to you personally again after so long.
First I want to apologize for the delay in releasing new music. Music is the basis of our relationship, after all, and I realize I'm not holding up very well on my end of the relationship! But music has a mind of it's own, and is ruled by a writer's emotions and state of mind, not by a time frame or wishful thinking. I wish like crazy that I had new music by now since I dream of how fun it would be to see you all again out on tour with new songs to sing, but as most of you know, I have been side-tracked slightly over this past year.
The personal issues that took place just over a year ago have been well documented, and there’s no need to go into more detail here. Since then, I've been inspired by my pain to write and use writing as a therapy through the suffering. I truly wouldn't wish this on anybody as a means to get inspired, but it's been a productive period with so much emotion trying to find it's way out. However, there is no telling how long it will take me to actually finish these songs and record them so they can get out to you.
As many things as there have been to write about through this difficult time in my life, healing is serious business and has taken a lot of the wind out of my sails, slowing me down at times. As you know, I am a mom and all my energy goes to making sure my little man is healthy and happy in every way. This is a full time job, as any parent understands, but especially difficult when you are battling your own personal crisis at the same time while trying to spare your child of being affected by your own suffering.
One time when I was having a weak moment listening to some sad music and sobbing and slobbering over my computer’s keyboard, Eja walked up behind me and asked me why I was crying. He wasn't sad at first--just totally surprised to see his mom crying (he is seven and never saw me cry before), and didn't know what to make of it. During this intense period, I was managing to hide my devastation from Eja and cried only when I was alone; but this one time was just too hard for me to control and I broke down. I was quick on my feet to answer him though and told Eja that music was very powerful and can make people quite emotional. It can make you want to dance, feel angry, happy or sad and that THIS this song was sad and made me cry. He accepted this, hugged me and went back to what he was doing. Phew, that was tough!
The energy it has taken me to deal with my personal life and managing to still be a responsible parent has been challenging, and while I have been putting what energy I have left at the end of each day into my writing, it's been hard to put it all together into song format.
Please be patient and I will do my best to continue working on a finished album!
Each morning I put my son on the school bus, feed our two dogs Sony and Dolly, drink my orange juice and sit down at the computer to write. I spend most of my time working with lyrics right now, sorting thoughts, expressions and concepts. It often comes out in the form of poetry, diary notes or e-mails to friends. My friends are great listeners and are very patient and generous about it. I often go back to my e-mails for song ideas. When I write in letter form, I don't hold back. I just write it as it comes without considering format, topic, manners, etc. Some of my best songwriting ideas are coming this way.
Time has a way of making everything right, and it is my hope that good music will eventually come out of it. I say "good music” since I don't want to just throw anything at you, just for the sake of hurrying up to get it out. I want my new music to be something I'm personally satisfied with and proud to share with you.
I have friends and family around constantly coaxing me to focus on my music. "Your fans miss you. They want new music. It's been too long." They're all dying for something new too, so they are pretty relentless about it! I know you certainly all do deserve new music and tour dates; not only because it's been so long, but also because of the HUGE support you've all given me during this period. The many blogs and e-mails have warmed my heart, strengthened my confidence, given me courage, and have often even made me laugh out loud…in a good way! I know I am not alone and realize through your support that you are all routing for Eja and I, and our well-being. Thank you!
The other day I started writing a few pages about being hungry as a kid. Some of it was painful to think about but it also made me laugh at the funny times. Reflecting on that period of my life, I realize how true it really is to learn to take the good with the bad. To appreciate that you can't have one without the other. The trick is to give the "good" at least as much of your energy as the "bad" and not to get stuck focussing more on the "bad". I decided to start writing about other stages of my life to help take my focus off the current phase I'm going through. When I'm feeling down, I figured changing my focus to write about other periods of my PAST would help pull me out of the sadness and on to new chapters in my life. It works.
I will sign off now but I look forward to my next letter/blog to you. I just wanted to fill you in a bit on what's going on with me and music, as well as extend my thanks for all of the support that you have given me over this last year and for all these years; and to assure you that I'm fine and managing very well, in fact. I'm enjoying my child, friends and family like I haven't in years, and it's great. I've been experiencing and seeing new things every day, living life with a different and more optimistic attitude. I've jumped out of an airplane at 10,000 feet, I'm riding Spanish and Arabian horses, traveling to exotic places, I've been deep sea diving for the first time! I pull the odd all-nighter, read more books, listen to Eja's favourite music with him, LOUD [ironically his favourite band is ACDC] and basically I'm enjoying life.
Till next time, my friends. Be well, and peace and happiness to all of you.
That was a nice message to her fans. I feel bad for her, and it is going to take time to heal. But, like she said, she can channel her feelings into her songs, and in the end, be the more stronger for it.
I'm looking forward to her comeback, and I wish her the best.
Blender Magazine on Kelly Clarkson: " The Texas native has one of the great voices in pop music, a powerful and versatile instrument that’s steeped in the rhythm and blues and country music she grew up with in the South. If Mariah Carey’s five-octave voice is the equivalent of an expensively bred poodle, then Clarkson’s is a bloodhound: friendly, earthy, but fierce just the same."
Baltimore Examiner (concert review): "Her sultry voice is absolutely flawless. The tone and range floors you. When she belts out a note, it's precise yet powerful."
"Music is powerful, it's a drug that makes your inhibitions go away and leaves your vulnerabilities exposed" - KC
Wow, that is a beautiful message from Shania Twain. I know this is a hard time for her. It's good to hear she's coping well. I'm really looking forward to new music. I'm sure this will be her most personal album.
I read her message a few days ago and I couldn't help but cry for her when she said that her little boy asked her why she was crying because he had never seen her like that before.
God bless you and her and her little one always!!!
Holly
Posts: 439 | Location: East Tennessee | Registered: December 10, 2008
After six and a half years together, the Shania Twain Official Website, Fan Club and MusicToday have decided to part ways. We've decided to branch off creatively and we've found a new home, Mad Dancer Media, who currently host Taylor Swift, Dolly Parton and Little Big Town. We feel this is the new perfect home for Shania!!! In the next few weeks (hopefully to be completed by August 1st but no promises!) we will be converting to a temporary site until the new website and store, is up and ready 100% . We'll still have the message board, contests, our store and Shania blogs.... so don't worry. We will do our best to make this as seamless as possible so please be patient and forgive any blunders that might occur on the way. The fan club will still be here, we'll just have a new host.
We are in the stages of completing the 2009 fan club kit so again, please be patient with us as we have a lot of legwork to do in order to bring you the best possible unveiling of the the new Shania Twain website!
The front page of the official Shania Twain site has a Countdown clock that will end on August 28, 2009.
That date is Shania's 44th birthday.
The front page of the site says that a "surprise" will be in store for Shania Twain fans on that date and asks that fans GO HERE to send Birthday wishes to her.
The front page of the official Shania Twain site has a Countdown clock that will end on August 28, 2009.
That date is Shania's 44th birthday.
The front page of the site says that a "surprise" will be in store for Shania Twain fans on that date and asks that fans GO HERE to send Birthday wishes to her.
Originally posted by mistersamgoody: Wasn't Shania the one who refused to give AI the rights to let people sing her songs on the show? Seems a little ironic
No. I think you may be confusing Shania with someone else.
I don't know all about what rights Shania gave up (or didn't) to the show, but I do know that at least one person on "American Idol" sang a Shania song on the show.
Here's an article from People talking about Shania's new video message:
Shania Twain Teases Birthday Surprise
By Anne Marie Cruz
Originally posted Wednesday August 19, 2009 04:40 PM EDT
Speaking publicly for the first time since appearing at the Country Music Awards last November, country star Shania Twain tells fans she has a surprise for them on Aug. 28 – which, not coincidentally, is her 44th birthday.
"Hi everyone, Shania here," says Twain, sitting in her yard at her home in Switzerland with two of her dogs.
"First to start off, I want to thank you for all the beautiful birthday wishes for Eja's birthday," she says, referring to her son, who just turned 8.
She then adds: "Secondly, if you haven't already seen on my Web site, for August 28th on my birthday, I will be giving you a small gift of thanks for all of your support over the last year ... You've been really wonderful, thank you so much."
And motioning to one of her pups, she signs off, "And Dolly thanks you, too. We'll see you soon!"
So what's the surprise? Another video – but not a musical one.
According to a source, fans will be able to see a video travelogue of what Shania has been up to since splitting from her husband producer Robert "Mutt" Lange in May 2008 following his affair with her best friend, Marie-Anne Thiébaud, a longtime secretary and manager of the couple's chateau in Switzerland.
"It's not new music, but it's a piece that Shania put together of what she's been doing for the last year," says a source. "It's definitely a totally new side of Shania that no one's ever seen."
The source adds that Twain is also posting a personal letter, much like the one she posted for fans on her site in June, but with more details.
The singer will also be a guest judge for American Idol during their Chicago auditions on Aug. 30 and 31. Her last public outings included a Manhattan shopping spree and a fun-filled Florida vacation in December with Thiébaud's ex-husband, Frédéric Thiébaud.
Check back on PEOPLE.com for the scoop on Shania's video birthday treat on Aug. 28!
Thought I would drop a line to catch you up on things in my life and what better time than on my birthday.
I feel very much alive and well, ready to take on the gift of another year. I've been on a few interesting trips, reading some helpful and motivating books, meeting fascinating people and getting the most out of life that I possibly can. Living, loving, laughing and dreaming have become highest on my list of priorities. I'm looking for places to be and things to do that inspire me to write and be creative, concentrating on moving on and forward.
When I wake up each day I remind myself how lucky I am to have all the beautiful things I do in my life and allow that gratitude to fuel me for the day, taking one day at a time. I try not to worry about tomorrow since I realize I can't control what it will bring or whether tomorrow will even come. So, I focus on today and treat every minute with the respect it deserves and not take it for granted. I steer my energies toward being productive and finding motivation from every person, place and thing I encounter.
Traveling has helped a great deal. I consider myself on a journey of discovery and recovery. I don't accept to be held down by the past, nor do I expect too much of the future. This allows me to dream freely with no strings attached.
I recently read something very encouraging to someone like myself, who lives and loves to dream: "PLANS HAVE TO BE REALISTIC, DREAMS DON'T." Of course, I love this notion and allow myself to dream positive things and plan to live them out.
I make a point of surrounding myself with fun, positive, compassionate, loving people. Loved ones I can trust. After all, good company brings good feelings and feeling good just makes life more pleasant. The love and understanding of my friends and family have pulled me through the recent difficult time. It's as if several hands grabbed me by the scruff of the neck during my lowest moment and promised not to let go till I was safe. They kept their promise, and I want to thank them, my lifesavers.
So, thank you my dear friends and family. Thank you to the fans as well for your words of comfort and encouragement.
All this has given me enormous strength.
A dear friend and true gentleman by the name of Fred, has been the most constant companion of support for both Eja and me, and having gone through the suffering of his family splitting apart at the same time under the same extreme circumstances, he understood me better than anyone. We leaned on one another through the ups and downs, taking turns holding each other up. We've become stronger and closer through it all, as have our children Eja and Johanna (Fred's 8 year old daughter).
"The kids" came along on several of the trips you'll see in the montage. My mother often called me her little Gypsy so it's no surprise that travel is working for me in finding inspiration through seeing new and fascinating things. I'm putting that inspiration in to writing and more dreaming.
The best part about my dreams lately, is that not only am I allowing myself to dream, I set those dreams into action and live them out.
Fred filmed and snapped away during the travel adventures of the last six months, capturing the dreams becoming reality. The home footage is full of happy faces, beautiful, interesting places and lots of horses. Yeah!
When I reflect on it all, it's clear how remarkably active my life has been since last December - a time in the life of someone working hard to "move on" and succeeding. Life has been gracious to me and the images show that very clearly.
Why I decided to share this personal side of my life with you at this point is to answer the questions I get asked so often lately: "how are you, where have you been and what have you been doing?"
A big part of the answer is in the montage. I'm "okay" - yes, I hit a very big bump in the road, but Eja and I are doing well and with all the concern you, my fans, have shown over this difficult period, I want you to see for yourself that we are doing fine, by sharing these personal images with you. Sorry about the poor quality of the footage but almost all of what you will see, both photos and video, were shot on Fred's cell phone with the exception of the skydive filmed from a tiny, wrist camera worn by the guide. Although the images weren't originally filmed with the intention of sharing them publicly, in the end I decided it was more fun to share them. We weren't paying attention to quality, all of it being done on the fly, so I've included text in various places to help explain and make things easier to follow. Once again, it's all very candid footage so be ready to see a lot of me without makeup, no touch ups, some bad hair and looking pretty goofy. There is no glamour but plenty of genuine smiles.
Fred and I have certainly had a lot of laughs through the months and while sharing these images with a good friend of mine after each trip, she now affectionately refers to us as, "Lucy and Ricky Ricardo".
What a Nice thing to do for us FAns. I have always had an extra admiration for her, anyonw who has been though ALL the Crap she has been through and she still rises above it. She has so much strength and preserverance. She is a true artists. Cannot wait for her Next Record.
