Finding Inspiration...

I told myself that I was going to be completely honest when I started this blog. I wasn't going to hold anything back; if there was something wrong I would tell you. So here it goes...

This week has been a struggle. It's hard to write down in words how I feel; there are so many different emotions. I am someone who is an emotional perfectionist; when I care about something so much I want it to be perfect. And I have found this is also becoming apart of my performing. I never want to perform a role that I'm not perfect at, I never want to dance something that isn't perfect, and I don't want to perform when the song isn't perfect. I am my number one critic. But with the challenge to post a new video every Wednesday, I'm forced to post videos that aren't perfect in my eyes. It's just become so hard to find the perfect song every week, learn it, and perform it. I'm trying to teach myself everything and it's hard. I know I've come along way from first picking the guitar up 29 days ago, but I want to be amazing now, and it's frustrating me that I'm not. One of my acting Professors Adam Simpson, who has been really helpful with teaching me different strum patterns, told me "to praise every little accomplishment" and I want to but I just can't. I just feel that I want it so bad, that I'm not allowing myself room to make mistakes and mess up. If I could I would just practice 24/7 that would be ideal because I want to be great and being great takes time; but I have classes and work and theatre shows and these things have first priority. I've already sacrificed doing homework assignments so that I can practice, but in the long run it will start effecting my grades. 

Also I know that image is just as important as talent. Before you open your mouth they have already judged you; so what do they see. I have always been an active person; playing soccer, swimming, ect.; but I'm not happy with where I am at. So I've been going back to the gym, going running more, and watching what I eat.

I'm sorry this entry it's not all sunshine and butterflies, but I thought that that ya'll should know where I’m at. Since my theme is my “Road to Success" I just thought I would let you know that I'm at a speed bump right now and trying to get over it. Thanks for listening and hopefully everything works out and I pull something together by Wednesday.

I hope you stay with me as I continue to purse my "Road to Success"

Day 25...

It's Day 25 on my "Road to Success" and this is what I have. You guys voted last week and wanted me to learn Stay by Sugarland. Well after a much waited 7 days, here you go!

Stay - Sugarland

And the votes are in for my next video......you voted for Our Song - Taylor Swift. So let me start learning it and I will keep you posted on my "Road to Success"

Please comment and let me know what you think!!!

*Also check out my YouTube channel*

 http://www.youtube.com/user/kaylagolladay

Working Hard!!

                                                       Vote for the next song!!  =>>>>

Playing 2,3,4 hours a day is a lot of time! I'm have been dedicating so many hours to playing guitar. I want to be amazing, so to become amazing I must practice really really hard. I on and off practice about 4 hours a day and it's starting to pay off. I can see and hear the difference of my guitar playing skills already. Looking back on last week’s song (If I Die Young) and reading everyone's comments I've been trying really hard to do well this week. I don't want to disappoint you guys :(

So for some serious news there has been a death in the family; my guitar family that is. :( So this is the story: After playing and posting "If I Die Young" I noticed that the guitar sounded out of tune which resulted in me been flat a couple of times. Well I was noticing that I had to tune my guitar every time I played it; which is everyday. So I was like well I probably need my strings changed or something? So today I called a couple of places and they said that it would take a day to do. I didn't have a day to spare! I need to practice! I have to post on Wednesday! Then I called Backstage Music Network and said that they will do it and get it back to me before 7pm. YEAH!!!! Backstage Music Network to the rescue! You can find them on facebook, they were awesome! So I ran it to them and she took my guitar and took one look at it and almost fell backwards. My baby was dieing. She showed me that the Bridge (pic to the top right) on my guitar was about to snap off. She said "You never noticed this before?" Whoops...must have slipped by me? So I asked her if they could fix it she said yes but they would have to send it out to get fixed and get it back in 4 days....4 days!?!?!? I didn't have 4 days. Plus it would be expensive to fix because of how bad it was. So I found that the better and smarter financial investment would be to get a new guitar. She nicely brought me over to the guitars on the wall and let me play with them. I asked her tons of questions and told her why I was learning and she was super helpful. She said that since I will be performing it would be smart to get an acoustic guitar that can be plugged into amps and whatnot. So I walked out the store with a brand-spankin new $200 all black acoustic Stagg guitar. It's absolutely gorgeous and its so much better to play on. So even though we lost a member of our family, we welcomed a new one in.

Just a reminder, I will be posting Stay - Sugarland on Wednesday. Keep looking out for me on my "Road to Success"

New Song???

Sooo you guys voted and RESULTS ARE IN.....(Dun, Dun, Dun) And the winner is....Stay - Sugarland with 9 votes, and the runner-up with You're Still the One - Shaina Twain at 7 votes :) I will be posting new videos every WEDNESDAY. So I posted my first video yesterday performing If I Die Young and your comments have been so helpful. I really love that ya'll want to help me!!! I want to be amazing and you guys are helping me do that. I will definitely keep practicing and perfecting the song so that by the time I perform it live it's actually good lol

So I just played through Stay - Sugarland and it definitely needs some work :/ The chords are the basic D, G, A, Em so the pretty simple, I just need to practice the transitions and the strumming.

Please vote on next week song, you have till Wednesday :)

I really hope you keep updated on my "Road to Success" and I will let you know how the song is coming!!!

**Also I just started a YouTube Channel if you want to check it out. It has me singing, dancing, and acting** http://www.youtube.com/user/kaylagolladay

Day 18 - First Video!!!

Hey guys...so this is my first video. I really hope you like it. PLEASE comment and tell me what you think honestly, I want to know. :) Sorry my voice starts to go towards the end lol..Enjoy... Also please let me know any request you have

If I Die Young - The Band Perry

Week 1-2 (cont)

So since the last time I posted a lot of things have been going on. Ok starting with Wed, Feb 2nd; what an amazing day!! So I woke up at 5:30am and drove to the Spanish River beach and watched the sun rise.  I greeted the sun by playing Hey Stephan by Taylor Swift; it was a beautiful moment. But then my fingers started hurting and doubt got into my head and I knew I had to post a video soon but I didn't feel ready. So then I decided to watch YouTube videos for inspiration but that back fired, I ended up watching videos of really good singer/guitarist and got discouraged. But then out of the no where this guy came up to me and asked me "How long you've been playing?" I told him 10 days and he asked me to play him something. I was thinking "Holy cow, I am so bad. He's probably gonna run away.." So I played him the first verse and chorus of Hey Stephan. At the end of it he was like "10 days??? That was really good." He thanked me for playing and told me I made his day. Ugh, God has humor. He makes you realize you know nothing. When you think you’re horrible and that you suck, he shows you how wrong you are. :)

Ok so good and bad news. Bad news is that I won't be singing Hey Stephan - Taylor Swift as my first song and I won't be posting as soon as I wanted to. Good news is that I found a new song to perform. On Friday, Feb 4th, we had a Kyle Conrad Memorial service.

Kyle Conrad was a 21 year old senior and soccer player at Lynn University that sadly passed away on Dec 11, 2010. I have decided to make my first song a tribute to both Kyle Conrad and the 4 students and 2 faculty that we lost in the Haiti earthquake. I chose "If I Die Young - The Band Perry”. This song is so beautiful and I want to sing it for them. I got the music yesterday so give me a couple of days to master it and then I will post the video.

I hope you’re on the edge of your seat while following me on my "Road to Success". Also if you have any request for songs please let me know I want to sing things You want to hear.

Week 1-2:

Week 1 for me actually started last week. I knew I was going to be doing this project so I thought I would get a head start on it. I picked up the guitar on Jan 23th 2011 and that's where it all begins... One of my friends Tommy plays so he was teaching me some chords. I knew the basic chords A, C, D, E, G but wasn't anywhere near mastering them. So we were all hanging out at a BBQ outside of Dehornle (doesn't that sound like a typical guitar playing setting) and Tommy taught me the first verse of Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley. Yeah. I love that song but I totally killed it. It was horrible; but I thought, "It's my first day, isn't everyone bad at first?" So throughout the week I continued to try. I printed out some chord music to play instead of playing Halleljuah 4 billion times.

I really like Taylor Swift and Katy Perry so I printed my favorites from them. Taylor Swift's music is good to start off with because it's simple chords and the songs are fun. But the trouble with Taylor's songs is that you need a Capo, so I went shopping. I went to Marathon Music Center in Boynton Beach, Fl and had a free for all. I got a Capo, a guitar case, guitar strap, guitar stand, and some picks. So now with all my new toys I decided to take them out to play. My school is about 5 miles away from the Spanish River beach so I woke up this morning and played. It was just the sand, the water, a couple of segals, and me and my guitar. It was beautiful; I think I'm going to make this an everyday thing. It was an amazing feeling to be out there in the open just banging away on the guitar singing my favorite music. I think I've made some progress already in just the 9 days I've been playing. I'll keep you updated on my "Road to Success"....wait for it, there will be a video up soon.