Thanksgiving and Recording

So last week was a very fun and busy week! Anytime I'm planning on going home for a few days, I'm always running around NYC to get everything done before the trip. Between all the meetings, sessions, and everything else, I was certainly busy but once I got to CT it was nice to be there :) on thanksgiving I went to Massachusetts to be with the family and to model my thanksgiving turkey hat haha :) it was great to see everyone and catch up! 

Yesterday was the big day! I got all the production and artist/producer agreements signed which means I officially start recording my new stuff this week! I've been in recording prep but this is the real recording! I start Thursday! Can't wait!!!!! I'm hoping to have most if not all of it done by the end of December! Fingers crossed!

 

Aerial Acrobatics and Movie Sets

This week was a very busy and interesting one! I had several writing sessions to tweak songs that were already written and I gotta say, I'm so excited about the new versions!!!

The other day I was in the TV show "The Carrie Diaries" for the second time. The first time I was in an episode, I played a high school student in the school. This time, I was at prom! (For the record, staged proms are much more fun then real proms! Or at least better then my senior prom!) I went to the fitting expecting them not to have an 80's style prom dress small enough to fit me but they did! Turns out I'm not the only teeny tiny actress on the show! The dress they gave me to wear has been in the Warner Brother's movie/tv show costume collection for decades and was the dress that the Lead actress AnnaSophia Robb was wearing for a scene in the first episode that got cut out. People on set were constantly telling me I looked like her so its probably a good thing she wasn't seen with that same dress or we totally would be twins. The other difference between this time on set and last time was that this one went ALL DAY AND ALL NIGHT! 14 hours of being on set in high heels and a dress! It was brutal but I'd totally do it again and probably will! I was in direct view of the camera this time too so I can't wait to see the episode!

Carrie Diaries 80's prom 

Today I went to take a dance class and once I got there I found out the class was cancelled so instead, I took the Aerial class! I WAS A BEAST AT IT!!!!! All those years of being a competitive gymnast paid off I guess! This particular aerial class was called "aerial silks" which means there are 2 connected giant pieces of silk fabric hanging from the ceiling and you wrap your legs in it and do tricks in the air! It's exactly what the music artist Pink does on stage!!!!! I thought of her the entire time I was upside down! I never thought I would actually get a chance to do something like this and can't wait to do it again! Now if I can only figure out how to play guitar while hanging upside down from fabric in mid air...hmmmmmm maybe next class. ;)

Pink!

Just hang in out

Puppy Insanity and a sleepless week

So this week was...interesting to say the least. Sometimes during the week in addition to music I petsit since I love dogs and don't have one in NYC. I've never had any problems with the dogs I've had until this week! The company told me I was watching a little yorkie and the woman shows up at my house with SIX DOGS! She drops them into the door and basically runs out before I can say AHHHHHH YOU SAID ONE DOG! Lets just say 6 dogs in a little New York apartment is NOT a good mix! If I so much as turned my guitar volume up to 2 it was a total bark-fest! I was so paranoid that my neighbors and landlord were going to find out I had 6 dogs in my apartment that I kept the lights out and tried to calm and quiet down 6 puppies every second and was a nervous wreck! I tried treats, toys, and just about everything. It didn't work. There was nothing I could do so I let all 6 dogs sleep on my little twin size bed and curled up into a little ball and prayed they would stay asleep! They did for about a minute! One of the dogs in particular was the ring leader of bad behavior and barking so the second day I had to find a pet sitter for him because I just couldn't handle 6 dogs going crazy! This dog was nice when he was alone with you but had a thing against men. He HATED them! every time a man went by he would try to attack him and bark hysterically. The only last minute petsitter I could get was in Brooklyn so I stuck him in my purse and brought him on the subway and lets just say I got a whole row of subway seats to myself when people heard my purse hissing and growling. That night was a little quieter but still, 5 barking puppies is no walk in the park. I was so excited to see them go home but sadly I miss the tiny pomeranian puppy! Makes me want a puppy! JUST ONE THOUGH!

Almost Halloween!

I can't believe its almost Halloween again! Seems like only yesterday it was still summer...but I will admit I had so much fun carving a guitar pumpkin :) I went to the Museum of New York with my Aunt and Uncle yesterday and they had an exhibit about Hurricane Sandy. I can't believe it was only a year ago! I remember last year it was my first Halloween in the city and I was so excited for the big parade downtown then the storm hit! My apartment luckily wasn't hit but I remember all the subways being shut down, not being able to get cabs, or basically go anywhere! It was horrible in the city! The year before that we had a snow storm where I Lived in Connecticut and lost power for an entire week! So this year I AM DETERMINED TO HAVE AN AWESOME HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!!! I WILL MAKE IT TO THE PARADE!!!! I haven't decided what to dress up as yet, vampire maybe? What will you be dressed as?! :)

My guitar pumpkin!

Movie Fight Scenes, Liam Neeson, and Doggie Dinos

So this week I got to be in my first movie! I've been in TV shows like the Carrie Diaries and Law and Order SVU and now "Run All Night" with Liam Neeson! I was featured on camera too! I was waiting in the fancy actors tent and the director randomly called me and was like "Ok, you're going to be one of our featured couples, you're gonna hold this guys hand and walk by the fight with Liam." Turns out the guy I was partnered with was one of my friends I had met previously on the set of The Carrie Diaries! I was surprised at how many people I had met previously that were on set! Guess the acting world is just as small as the music world! I was glad to run into so many of my friends because the shoot was overnight for 12 straight hours both days! When I was on camera I got to witness a fight scene up close and personal! Lets just say...It was possibly the coolest thing ever. I never realized just how choreographed fights in movies are! I just assumed people threw punches and ducked. NOPE. Each move is so calculated and is the same every time! When you're that close, you can see how when Liam Neeson throws a punch, it isn't even close to hitting the other guy! there was a good 6 inches between fist and face! Every time a fight scene is in a movie, theres always some sort of music or noise in the background but when it's being filmed, there's silence! all you can hear are random grunts from the fighters. If I didn't know there was a fight going on, I would have assumed a few guys were struggling to move a heavy piece of furniture because all I heard was "MUHHHHH, GRUHHHH, and UHHHHH!" Liam is so tall! He's really nice and chill off camera and so were all the other actors! I got to meet Joel Kinnaman the other lead actor too, he was covered in fake blood and still looked good! The entire scene was filmed in a subway and I must say I'm so glad the scene called for us to wear winter clothes because being outside 12 hours was FREEZING!!! I still had fun though :) Hopefully I'll be in another movie soon! Here are some pictures of the set, camera, and props!

Joel Kinnaman :)

Liam Neeson

Now on a completely unrelated to acting note, I entered my dog Chloe in a costume contest! It was a blast! I used to dress my poor dog up all the time as a kid but this was serious business! We were dressing for the win! She was a Raptor Dinosaur and I must say, wore it very well. My dog acted like a total super star and WORKED that raptor suit. Unfortunately she didn't win but we had so much strutting in front of the judges and looking at all the dogs in their costumes! (I felt like one of the pageant moms on toddlers and tiaras when I was competing!) All I can say is thank god I'm not as competitive with my dog as I am with performing or it could have gotten ugly haha!

Acting, Liam Neeson, and Launching

So Today I got cast in a movie with Liam Neeson! YAYYY! When I first got the call I didn't know anything about the movie, other than I had to be at the movie set at basically the crack of dawn but when I got the follow up email and found out I was going to be in a scene with Liam Neeson, I got all excited, jumped up and down, and sang for a while...let's just say it's a good thing my window blinds were closed because that would have been awkward! LOL! I'm hoping the scene will be an epic action packed scene, but with Liam Neeson, how could it not be?! :) Can't wait to shoot this week! Ahh!

Liam Neeson :)

I'm also excited to enter the next phase of launching as an artist! I've been writing songs like crazy, working on my live performance, practicing, practicing, practicing, and uh... oh yeah! practicing! and now I finally get to put all that practicing to work and begin recording new songs, and getting a bunch of new material together to show everyone all the sides of me and what I can truly do as an artist! I'm so excited for the big meetings coming up with my team and just getting ready to launch to a whole new level! Watch out! ;)

Get Ready! 

Watch out! :)

RECORDING!

Sound Clash Studios NYC

So the time has come for me to head back into the studio and start recording all my new material! The past few months have been filled with me writing new songs, co - writing, and just creating new material that truly represents me as an artist. I'm so excited about the new songs because I feel they really represent me sound wise, lyrically, and showcase my guitar playing! They're a combination of catchy pop melodies with a rock guitar edge and of course, epic guitar solos! The most exciting part of this whole project is the fact that I'll be working with different producers who are such amazing musicians! I can't wait to watch how they add their personal edge and learn some of their recording techniques!

Sound Clash Studios NYC

The other day I had a song writing session with a new song writing team and it came out absolutely AMAZING! I really didn't know what to expect going into the session but the 3 of us collaborated so well! I started off the song with some acoustic guitar, we added amazing beats, synth, distorted electric guitar, you name it, it's in the song! The entire song was built around a guitar chord progression and what I loved about it was that we all equally contributed and brought our styles together resulting in an awesome song all 3 of us were really happy with! I can't wait to write more with them! <3

Drum Machine and looper!

Writing Session!

xox ARIEL

SHOWTIME!!!!!

So yesterday I played guitar in a glam rock show for an artist named Kenyon Phillips. His shows are always over the top with the costumes, makeup, and guest performers, but this show, was by far the craziest! for hair, I had crimped teased giant 80's hair and dark cat eye makeup with bright lips! The costume was a black blingy corset top with blingy rhinestones and a ballerina tutu with high heels! So basically, I was a punk rock glam ballerina guitar shredder! :) I absolutely loved being dressed over the top and rocking out with my poofy hair on stage!! Even though it's not my show, I still get my fair share of guitar solos which I absolutely LOVE and so did the audience! The back up singer in the show was Cheryl Freeman who is PHENOMENAL and played The Acid Queen in Tommy on Broadway!! My manager knew her first and I had met her through him before she was reffered to sing with Kenyon. It was so much fun actually performing with her! While Kenyon had a costume change, we did an improvised number with her full out singing and me shredding along! It was simply amazing and I actually danced a little...or at least attempted to! (Cheryl Freeman is the only person so far who makes me willingly want to dance haha)

My awesome punk glam show look!

Oh..I'm just shredding

The makeup station!

Pre Show love with Kenyon

Cheryl Freeman and I, I LOVE HER!!! 

Speaking of attempted dancing in public, I start dance classes next week! Although most people only consider me a musician, I know I'm a performer. I like to sing, shred, act, and mainly, PUT ON A SHOW! I figure some dance moves can only help me create an epic stage show! I was a competitive gymnast before I discovered music so I can do backflips and any other sort of twisty flippy craziness but dancing has NEVER been a strong point for me! So lets just say...These next few weeks will be...interesting to say the least!!! But like I did for music, I'll work until I get it ;)

XOX Ariel

Jazz, Fairs, Trains, and Annoying Questions

So this week for the first time since high school, I had to learn some Jazz songs for a show! I figured I would have remembered how to play jazz well from when I was in my school's jazz band but as it turned out, I forgot most of it since I don't normally play it! This week was all reviewing, google searching, and transposing Jazz songs to prepare! Once I mastered the song I needed, I went to rehearsal and it turns out the guest artist singing on the song decided to give us a completely different version which had an entirely different structure and key! Aw well, I like a challenge and I've got it now! :)

Jazzzzzzzzzzz

Originally I was planning on going home to Connecticut for the day on Friday but a last minute change of plans resulted in me grabbing a stick of eyeliner, running out the door, and jumping on the last train from Grand Central to New Haven all on Thursday night instead. I don't think I have ever gotten anywhere this fast before! I only had 45 minutes to get to grand central, buy my ticket, and get on the train. I did it in 20. (And yes I was still in my pajamas.) Friday morning I had an early meeting then it was time to go to the Big Eastern States fair!!!!!!! Yay!!!!! It's been a family tradition to go there and I don't think I've missed one for the past 20 years! Hunter Hayes was playing that night so it was great seeing all the little girls walking around in their cowboy hats and I love Hunter t-shirts. I think my favorite part of the fair (besides the blueberry pie and ice cream,) was the pig race. I know what you're thinking, and yes. It actually does exist. 4 pigs were in little stables and once the bar was lifted up they raced to the end of the track to eat oreo cookies. I had no idea that pigs liked oreo cookies but hey, ya learn something new everyday. There was a big exhibit from The Hard Rock Cafe in one of the buildings and they had displays of famous rock n' roll legend's stage clothes and guitars! It was pretty epic I must say. The best part of the big E (besides for the petting zoo which I'm still obsessed with) is that they have a giant xfinity arena for big concerts. Being from New England originally, I'm hoping to play there soon! 

Petting Zoo!

Giant Slide

We're Sexy and We Know It. 

Fair Ground 

Pete Townshend's Guitar

Jimi Hendrix's Show clothes

     

Elton John's Show Clothes

Breakfast of Champions

On an entirely different note, one of the things I've noticed about being a female guitar player is that no matter where you're going and how much equipement you're carrying with you, if guys see you with your guitar they always ask these 4 questions in this exact order: 

1. Is that a guitar?

2. Is that YOUR guitar?

3. Do you play guitar?

4. Are you good?

The only problem is that the last question is a trick question. If you say yes, they assume you're full of yourself and you're not good anyway and if you say "I try" like I always do, they assume you know 2 chords. I've been asked those questions so many times and at this point, I've decided they'll find out the answer to #4 on their own one day but for now, I'll let them think whatever they want ;)

Lights, Camera, Action!!

So recently I've been getting into acting and TV which is new since I'm normally just doing music all day everyday. I got my first casting call last month to be a student in the background on the Carrie Diaries! (The Carrie Diaries is the prequel TV series to Sex and the City.) It was like nothing I had ever experienced! The fitting was a few days prior to filming and I had to travel to Brooklyn for a 9am call. The fitting was at Steiner studios which is a giant lot filled with large buildings with giant stages, movie, and TV sets located in the Brooklyn Navy yard. I had to go to stage 3 for the fitting, I was literally expecting a big stage but when I went in, its a huge building with winding hallways and so many doors! When I got called for my fitting they had me wear white jeans, white converse, a t-shirt with blingy lips on it, bulky orange earrings, and an over sized denim jean jacket since we're supposed to be high school students in the 80's. I had assumed that we would be shooting the episode at one of the Steiner Studios Sets but it turned out we were shooting at a fancy prep school in Bay Ridge Brooklyn.          

                   (This place was huge!! So many movie sets!!)

(I had my fitting here!)

(Steiner Studios Layout!)

     
             



       
       
       
                       


On shooting day call time to the school was 5am, and I went straight to hair and makeup. It turns out my natural morning frizz hair was already 80's looking so they just hair sprayed it like there was no tomorrow. (I still can taste the hair spray weeks later.) During the scene I had to walk around and pretend to gossip with other students and was put right next to AnnaSophia Robb (the lead actress) so hopefully they'll keep that scene! It turns out that AnnaSophia and I are exactly the same height, have exactly the same hair color, and both had the same hairstyle with the same length. Everyone kept telling me "Oh wow I totally thought you were her!" One girl even took her picture next to me, and posted it on Facebook saying she met AnnaSophia haha good times! Can't wait to see the Episode!

(Here's me in my hott Jean jacket haha)                                           (Here's AnnaSophia, we kinda do look a like!)

Last Tuesday, I got my second casting call! It was a rush call to be a classy restaurant goer in the background for the show Psychotics that day filmed at The Chelsea Manor in Manhattan. As soon as I got the call, I had to take off my hello kitty pajamas as quickly as possible, put on real people clothes, run out the door, and do makeup in a cab. (I'm surprised I didn't end up looking like a clown from all the sharp turns the driver did.) When I got to the set, they liked my look and told me I get to be one of the 2 bartenders on the show instead! AND!!!!! I GOT A SPEAKING LINE!!!!! SCOREEEEE! While I was waiting for the scene to start, I got a call asking me to be a party club girl for Law SVU the next day!!!!! DOUBLE SCORE!!!! When it was time for the scene I pretended I knew what I was doing behind the bar, poured some pretty colored liquids, spilled it, hoped nobody noticed, and continued "bar tending." (Luckily my spill wasn't on camera!) The scene was pretty quick and I was so excited the entire time! I've also learned that my life calling is not to be a bar tender. I will spill your drink every time guaranteed or your money back. 

(This is where I "Bar tended")

I couldn't wait to be on Law and Order SVU since everyone's heard of that show!! I played a party club girl and got to wear a tight little black dress, my sparkly spiked Steve Madden shoes, a matching spiked necklace, and night time going out makeup. The scene was filmed outside of a club in lower Manhattan. I was right in front of the camera first in line waiting to get into the club! The scene involved a girl getting arrested and taken away in a cop car and people walking by actually thought it was real and were legitimately scared! During some of the takes random people wandered into the shots and begged some of the actors for money or asked why the police were there. It was quite amusing hearing the actors say "Uhhhhh yeah...this isn't real. Not even close." 

(I wore these to the shoot!)

(Downtown where the scene took place)

(My party dress!)