10/28 Now that I've figured how to get in and out of this blog, I'm ready to let more folks know about it! Thank you, Ellen and Mindi, for your comments!

I continue to work on my new song "I Can't Accept That About You". I've got a chorus (it starts with the chorus), three verses and a bridge, though I'm struggling with the last verse. That's OK. It takes as long as it takes. I never had this kind of patience before - it feels like a divine gift!

I'd like to tell you why this blog is called "Side B". The old 45 records of my youth had Side A -the side with the hit on it - and Side B- a less commercial song which was sometimes not as good, but sometimes just as good or occasionally even more interesting. I have most of my life been a Side B person. Somewhat shy, happy to be in the background, not comfortable in the spotlight. That has changed in recent years - I am OK with being out front now - but I will always relate to the B side.

I'm reading a great book called "Tunesmith - Inside the Art of Songwriting" by Jimmy Webb. He wrote "By the Time I Get to Phoenix", "Up, Up and Away", "Wichita Lineman" etc. I saw him perform solo this summer and he blew me away. Just him and a grand piano, no charts,

and a great personality too. In his book he says the songwriter's workplace needs some magic symbols for inspiration. I have a poster of "Desiderata" that needs to be hung on the wall. He also said to think of a perimeter around your work area that's like a power circle. I liked that idea a lot, and this morning took my hula hoop and placed it under the chair at the piano - LOL. That's my power circle for now.

Hi from Carol- my first post in 2010. I decided to get back into blogging to help keep me on track for writing songs. I want to have enough songs to do my third CD, and discipline has not

lately been my strong suit. So here I will be, talking to myself and anyone else who will visit this blogspot about song ideas; how ideas change immediately when you write them down, play them, or sing them; frustration and self-criticism, and the joy of writing a great phrase/harmony/song! And much, much more!

My blog is called niacrow because I teach Nia, a great dance/martial arts/yoga practice. And Crow was my nickname in junior high because I was taller than all my friends and had very dark hair.

I just had shoulder surgery on Tuesday. I'll find out today if I can play piano and type as much as I want, or if I have to watch it. This is a great time to work on songs since I'm not teaching due to the surgery recovery.

My newest song's working title is "I Can't Accept That About You". It started out in d minor, but that made it sound too much like my song "Pull of the Moon". So I moved it up a step to

e minor. I'm enjoying harmonizing with sus chords - hello Steely Dan!