I have moved!

Just wanted to let you know that my blog is now moved to Wordpress. It also serves as my official websites, and contains all my music, live videos, bio and lots of other cool stuff, so tune in and subscribe on www.audreywilsen.com! :)

Lots of luuuv,
Audrey

News & Today =)

News:

• I met my all time favorite artist and heroin, Unni Wilhelmsen, again in December after her amazing non-christmas concert in Oslo, and told her I’m singing her song “Orange” on my vocal assessment next week. She told me to send her the recording. If I dare. Do I…? 
• I have passed 300 plays on Soundcloud! :-D
• I am 6 fans away from 300 on Facebook (Come on people - Like and spread! ;-))
• “Another Song” was played on Norwegian radio for the first time on Thursday - more about that later - and I celebrated with a cute little bottle of Champagne.
• My Oslo band is ready to start working on the set, and I am going back to Liverpool tomorrow and looking forward to a couple of intense weeks of song arranging, demo recording and note material making. =)

Today:

Today, I once again had the privilege of being pampered by my very good friend Marhú. Marhú isn’t just a great friend, and she hasn’t just given me an amazing nephew who I love very much, and she hasn’t just offered me to be one of the maids of honor when she is getting married this summer (weheeey!!!). She is also the only person I trust my hair with.;-P She is a wizard, and I always walk out of there like a new person. This time I came to the salon where she works full time as a hair dresser, and it was nice to get a little glimpse of her little corner of the world, where she makes a difference in her very own way.

You can't really see the cut, but you can see the colour at least. :)

My friend Ida sent me a Spotify link today. I love getting Spotify links, especially when it is to music I have never heard of that surprises and delights me. Discovering new music is one of my favorite things in the world. My friend Milena always provides me with lots of amazing music. She has a blog, in which she recommends lots of GREAT songs, bands and performances. Milena’s music is like my Drug-Of-Choice…! I can really recommend her recommendations...!
Anyway, today Ida was the one to send me a link, and without knowing anything about this guy I pressed Play, and was blown away by this piano instrumental tune. Breathtaking.

Yiruma - River Flows In You

I haven’t been that moved by a piano tune since the soundtrack of Finding Neverland, especially this one;

Finding Neverland - Piano Variation In Blue

Sigh…

Another musical number surprised me tonight. The TV was on in the living room, and the Norwegian Song-contest was on. And there she was, my friend from school, playing “langeleik” on a beautiful Norwegian folk-ish song! It was truly magical, and it was nice to see that there is still some justice, reason and people with taste left in the world - they made it to the next round over the half naked annoying blond who couldn’t sing.;-P
Marie is an AMAZING violin/fiddle player, and I have had the privilege of having her play on one of my songs in the past. Hopefully I will be able to “book” her again, because she had a great ear for what I wanted - she pretty much played exactly what I had in mind, without a word from me.

Like I said, I’m going back to Liverpool tomorrow, after 4 weeks of chillin’ at home. It has been lovely to be home, but it will be nice to get back and started again as well. I’ve got lots of things to do in the weeks and months to come, so I might as well get on with it. =)
Another thing I should get on with, is packing. So I will leave you with a frosty kiss and some pictures.

Haha!!

MUAH!! Xxxx

Audrey

Unni Wilhelmsen & me

Marhú, Miguel & me <3

2 more nephews <3   

My friend Charit's dog, and my new nephew.

The SuperGlue kind of friendship

I have spent a lot of time this holiday (though not enough, never enough) with some of my favorite people, and it got me thinking about friendship. The super glue kind. You know, the people who stick. They’re there, even when they’re not, and the connection will never ever fade just because you for some reason don’t see them for a couple of years. That sounds so long, a couple of years, too long, but it happens. Life happens. People you used to see or talk to every day are either too busy or too far away, and so are you. It doesn’t mean the friendship is dead. When you meet again, you are relieved to find everything is the same, and you talk and laugh like no time has passed. “Let’s not wait another year before we see each other again,” you say, part with a hug and make promises to keep in touch. But another year passes, oh so quickly...

Why is it so easy to forget to remember? Why is it so difficult to make a phone call once in a while? When I was younger, I made phone calls all the time, just to talk. For hours. Even to people I talked to every day at school. Now, as life becomes busier and more serious, I forget to make those calls. So many lives, so many places, so little me, so little time. I wish I had more time. Because even though I know the superglue will keep them close even without the constant contact, actually spending time with them is something I can't put a price on. The sound of these people's voices make my life better. And I realize how much I miss them every time they pick up the phone.

I don’t really do new years resolutions, but if I did, mine would be to make more of those phone calls.
What’s yours?

<3

In the middle

2010...

It is kind of weird to me to be summing up a calender year. I mean, since my life has always happened in school years, New year’s to me is not as much the end of one year and the fresh start to another, as it is a tiny little break in the middle of one. Year. A breather, to stop up and think about where I am, where I’m going, and get ready for the big finish. Which, I guess, is the meaning of it for everyone.

So… Where am I?
I am in the middle of my first year at a LIPA Bachelor in Music. I am learning, every day. I am meeting and working with a huge amount of exciting and talented people from all around the world, and I am exploring and developing my own creativity. I am arranging for strings. I am in love, and I am happy, in a city I adore, in a cool flat with awesome (however messy) flatmates. I am an auntie to a whole bunch of awesome kids, and tomorrow I have been an aunt for 6 years. Life is surprising and wonderful, and I love living it. I know, I know, I sound like a gimp. But you’re supposed to sum up on day like this, aren’t you? Bzzz…

Where am I going then?
Looking ahead, one of the plans for this year is putting together a mini tour in Norway with my Oslo based band, as well as playing as much as I can live in Liverpool with my Liverpool band. I also want to write a lot of new songs, as I feel like the songs I HAVE written doesn’t really say what I want to say with my music anymore. Genre wise, I need to have a think and a feel, and give myself a little push in the right direction. The song I am working on at the moment, Free, is closer to the destination I think, but there are still a lot of steps left on the ladder before I can rest my head on the right “Genre Shelf”. Maybe I never can. That’s the great thing about music, and creating music; Just like you are constantly developing and changing as a person, your music is also changing, and growing with you. Heck, who knows, I started out in R&B, and here I am now as an acoustic pop/folk singer/songwriter - I might end up in heavy metal…! …she jokes.
Nah, I’m pretty happy where I am right now. The year so far (the school year, that is) has been great, and not half as tough as I expected. BIG relief. I know I did the right thing accepting my spot on the course, and I can’t imagine what I would have been doing right now if I hadn’t. I know I’m gonna face a lot of challenges in the next 2 and a half years, but I’m up for it. Bring it on, LIPA!


The point, and the answer to the questions in question, is this; 


I am exactly where I’m supposed to be, with who I’m supposed to be with, doing what I’m supposed to do. I’m right in the middle. In the middle of right now. And there is nowhere else I’d rather be.


Tonight, I’m eating my dad’s amaaaazing chicken stirr fry with my parents, my brother and his family. That’s it. I gave up New Year parties years ago, because it was always a let-down. Someone always ended up fighting, even people who had never had anything to fight about. Someone stormed off in anger in the middle of the night and ended up crying in the rain on a bench by the river, someone slapped someone, someone kneeled on the gravel in front of their boyfriend’s car and begged him not to drive off DRUNK, a house got surrounded by skinheads with bats… You get the picture. And people always insisted on going OUT, and it was crowded and horrible, and I just didn’t enjoy myself. I would much rather enjoy a quiet night and lovely dinner with my family. Speaking of which; It’s getting late, and I need to have a shower and get ready before my brother and his family gets here. I can smell something cooking all the way down here, and I am HUNGRY!!!

For now;
I hope you have all had a wonderful christmas, and that 2010 is the best year you have ever had and the worst you will ever have. ;) Enjoy the evening, and 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Lots of love,

Audrey

Merry Christmas from Winter Wonderland!

It's NICE to be Home For Christmas!

I was lucky and made it home (my flight was "only" an hour and a half late), and I am really enjoying some proper time off with family and friends at home. It's been a long time since I have had this much time off from school or work (4 weeks!), and it is NICE! 

I hope you are all having a wonderful time this christmas! And to everybody who didn't make it home - I hope you have been able to make christmas a nice time wherever you are. And that you have Skype! 

I'll be back soon, with more songs and more news. 

Take care! =)

Love,

Audrey

Last finish...

Today, there is a page and a half about me and this blog in the Norwegian newspaper "Hadeland". If you're stopping by for the first time because you have seen it, then WELCOME! :-D

I'm a busy bee these days, with the last pile of school work to be handed in tomorrow, still a couple of christmas presents left to buy and 2 days until I go HOME FOR CHRISTMAS for almost 4 weeks!! Everything has gone really well, and I am pretty much on top of things - unlike last year, when all my hand-ins and exams were in January and I spent the whole christmas holiday stressing about it... This year, it's different. A lot of things are different. But I'm loving it!

I did however have a minor setback a couple of weeks ago, when I was down with the flu (and I mean DOWN, I couldn't do anything, including, sadly, my ensemble performance which I was devastated about) and spent an entire week in bed with a fever, eating nothing but Ritz crackers. Horrible. I'm fine now, finally, and enjoying the last days in Liverpool with my Lovely. :)

Like I said, the Oslo band is in place, and I can't wait to meet up with them in January to discuss and jam.

Ooh, I have some very exciting news - for me at least. ;-P I have spent the money I got from Sparebank1, and got myself a KORG SP-250 Digital piano, an audio interface which allows me to record it on to my laptop, and Logic studio software! Wuhu! I'm so happy with the piano, and a new song is allready on the way. Too bad I can't bring it all to Norway with me...!

An early christmas present from Sparebank1 <3

I got to go now, heading down to town to do what will hopefully be the last of the christmas shopping, before it gets too packed with people. I HATE the queues...!

Take care now, and keep checking in!

I LOVE YOU!

Audrey

PS.
Here are the 3 songs I have out on Soundcloud- Just press play and have a listen! =)

Another Song by Audrey Wilsen

Orion's Not The Same In Egypt by Audrey Wilsen

The First Kiss Hello (Since Goodbye) by Audrey Wilsen

The Oslo band is ready! :-D

Right, the Oslo band is ready, and here are the wonderful people you might see me perform my songs with in Oslo around spring time;

• Guitar: Kristian Hansen 
• Bass: Kim Westby
• Drums: Øyvind Emanuelsen
• Keys & BV's: Marita Heimstøl
• Backing Vocals: Julie Lund & Melissa Lødemel

I am thrilled to have so many of my long time close friends and lovely people in my band, and really can’t wait to get started on what I can only imagine will be an amazing time. You are the BEST, guys! :-D

I am also thrilled and amazed that “Another Song” reached 100 plays in 2 days - WOW!!

I should really be baking christmas cookies today, cause that’s what I always do when December comes knocking. But sadly, I am really freaking ill, and not able to do much at all…! ☹ I just hope I’m better for tomorrow, and my Ensemble’s performance in the LIPA Sennheiser. All though right now, I don’t feel very ready to sing “I Just Wanna Make Love To You…”

Send me some cyber-luuuv please, I need to get better! :(

Lots of love,

Audrey