One Horizon Accoustic Version of Fly

Here is a peak at my band One Horizon singing as song I wrote called Fly.  

                     

Quick Update

I am still vacationing with my family for winter break, and will resume my regular blog by next week, but I just wanted to let anyone and everyone know about the upcoming performance of one of my original songs called Fly.  I will be performing it with my band One Horizon at a New Year's Eve concert on Temple Square in Salt Lake City.  One Horizon will be playing from 8-9 PM in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building Lobby.  If you are around, come check it out.  :)

Monday Memoirs: December 21, 2015 "Merry Christmas"

My children are vacationing from school right now, and it is the Christmas holiday, so I will be spending the next two weeks with my family.  I do plan on keeping my mind open and allowing songs to come from my life experiences over the next two weeks, though.  I hope all of you continue to allow music to flow from your creative minds throughout the holiday season too, and please share when you do.

Wishing all of you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.  I look forward to regularly posting starting the first full week in January.  Until then.... Happy Songwriting!!

“Merry Christmas” by samarttiw from freedigitalphotos.net

WaCkY WeDnEsDaY ChAlLeNgE: Jingle Bells

My husband took some video footage a few weeks ago and really wanted to share it on Facebook.  He asked me if I would record something.  A lot of my recording equipment is out of state right now, in preparation for my New Year's Eve show with my band One Horizon, so I had to use my phone wire and speaker to record the vocals and guitar.  I hope you can enjoy it anyways.  :)  I put this together in less than 12 hours.  Anything that can be thrown together in less than a week and then shared on the internet can qualify for a Wacky Wednesday Challenge, don't you think?

Until next time, Happy Songwriting!!!

Take Note Tuesday: Lindsey Stirling

On Take Note Tuesday posts, I usually make it a point to hi-light family friendly artists who are still building a following.  This week I have made an exception, though.  I would like to share a song that a more well know artist did to celebrate the Christmas Season.  Her name is Lindsey Sterling.  She writes music, plays the violin while dancing and shares videos on youtube on a regular basis.  She has 7,342,493 subscribers to her youtube station.  I am sharing her video because I like the way that she is not seeking to promote herself with this video, but challenging her viewers to think twice about the response we might have to Jesus Christ  during this Christmas season.  How the season is celebrated is going to be different for everyone, but I love the way that this artist has made an effort to make her musical creations about something more than just herself.  I think that this selfless focus is when music becomes the MOST beautiful.  This is what I seek to promote in my Take Note Tuesday Posts. I hope you enjoy her video, until next time, Happy Songwriting.

Monday Memoirs: "Still, Still, Still" Recording

           Click here to listen: "Still Still Still" arranged by David A Zabriskie and Catrina Baum

As my weekday schedule has changed quite a bit, recently (I started homeschooling my 12 year old son), my songwriting opportunities have definitely been less frequent.  I have been preparing to sing in church next week, though, so I thought it would be appropriate to share "my" version of an arrangement that I recorded to help me practice.  Even though it is very minor, I tweaked a few notes here and there to fit my style and liking.  That can be considered songwriting, right?  That is pretty much 'all I got' this week.

Here it is.  The song, "Still, Still, Still" is an Austrian Carol arranged by David A. Zabriskie and myself.

“Wintertime In Sweden” by Poulsen Photo from freedigital photos.net

Click here to listen: "Still Still Still" arranged by David A Zabriskie and Catrina Baum

WaCkY WeDnEsDaY ChAlLeNgE: Twas the Night Before Christmas Youtube video

The Wacky Wednesday challenge: 

See what youtube video or sound cloud recording you can up with in 1 week.  

The project starts on Thursday is due by midnight on Wednesday the following week.  To be considered Wacky Wednesday the project has to begin and end within one weeks time.  

This week has been full of surprises.  In addition to the seasonal, holiday bustle, I had a BIG change to my life.  As of December 1st,  I am now homeschooling my 12-year old son.  It is because of this that my youtube video project began at 9pm tonight and will hopefully be loaded by midnight.  I hope you enjoy it.

Take Note Tuesday: Firefly

I first heard of this band when I was researching artists that would be at a Music and Arts Festival in Utah a few years ago.  Their energy and heart impressed me.  They have continued to create and make beautiful music amid many changes in their life.  Here is a great cover that they did of a One Republic song called "Feel Again".

Monday Memoirs December 7, 2015: "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day"

To hear a sample of "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" click HERE.

This past weekend I took some of my equipment from my home in Idaho to a location in Utah so that I would be ready for my band rehearsal on January 30th.  Because of this, I will not be able to do as many projects until after the New Year.  I am SO bummed!!  I still plan on sharing whatever I can, though.
In anticipation of being separated from my equipment, I attempted to see how far I could get on my newest songwriting project.  As part of a request, I began to play around with ideas for the Christmas song, "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day".  The idea that came to me was actually a mash-up of two different Christmas songs.  I put it together just hours before leaving town on Friday.   It is in a very ROUGH draft format, but I wanted to share it as part of my Monday Songwriting Memoirs anyways. Please let me know what you think so far.  Any guesses as to what the second song is???
How about you?  What kind of projects did you work on this week?  Please share.  Until next time... Happy Songwriting!

“Christmas Tree” by Feelart at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

                         To hear a sample of "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" click HERE.

WaCkY WeDnEsDaY Challenge: Twas the Night Before Christmas

Click HERE to listen to "Twas the Night Before Christmas" cover by Catrina Baum

Hallmark Channel is my most favorite TV station to watch at Christmas time.  I think I somehow inherited this love from my mom who also watches Hallmark Channel movies on a regular basis.  Last year she watched the movie, "Angels and Ornaments", with her dear friend who has since passed away after a difficult battle with cancer.  There is a beautiful song sung by one of the main characters in this movie.  When my mom heard it she instantly thought of me and requested that I arrange my own version of the song.  Here it is: Twas the Night Before Christmas by Stacy Hersh, Rober Baughn and Brock Walsh cover by Catrina Baum.

“Moon And Tree” by renjith krishnan at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Click HERE to listen to "Twas the Night Before Christmas" cover by Catrina Baum

Take Note Tuesday: Us the Duo

Us the Duo is a group I was first introduced to on Facebook through a friend who had posted a cover song video of "Like I'm Gonna Lose You" by Meaghan Trainor.  I really like the music that this husband and wife team create together.  Check out their new single.  Great songwriting!!!