Jena Douglas: Blog

I once was compared to Doris Day's Calamity Jane from the movie, "Calamity Jane" circa 1954.  I am glad to be compared to one who is, independent, tough and yet sweet, doesn't care what other people feel about them and can rope and ride like a man... Well, I pretty much feel a kin to almost everything except for that last bit about roping and riding (although I can ride a horse, nobody will say I'm an expert). Thinking about Doris Day, she also had a great voice!  So, thank you for making that comparison because it was brought up while recording my CD, but it wasn't the old Doris Day's "Calamity Jane" that came through while recording.  It was the Calamity Jane from the HBO special; "Deadwood."  Their version of Calamity Jane wasn't any Disney-like character but a hollerin', swearin', spittin' and drunken one.... still Calamity was a topic of conversation in the mist of our recording session.  In fact, "Deadwood" greatly influenced the level of foul language and [...]

I am now the Choir Director for Center for Spiritual Living in Carlsbad and it is my great pleasure to raise the level of vibrational, soul empowering, God like consciousness with our little choir.  And when I say little I mean, all three people...(there are more people) but that doesn't matter as much as the level of awareness, joy and exuberance we add to the congregation when we are singing.  Our pure joy in singing is addictive and everyone can't help but to join in the fun.
I have never been and never will think of myself as being a church goer... I know this sounds strange, since I now go every Sunday, but I grew up to thinkin' I was going to hell, so I never thought much of Christianity.  However, I was always an admirer of Jesus Christ, Buddha, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa and anyone else whose philosophy promotes love and peace.  That is why I go to this "Church" as they "preach" all the peaceful and positive ideals from all major religions with [...]

There she goes again... talking about transformation and songwriting... but what does it mean?  Transformation literally means, "A dramatic change in form or appearance." As a musical term, form means a song's structure.  Most western music is structured in a certain way so that it appears, to the listening ear, to flow naturally to its resolving end. Music will have a series of "tensions and releases" ebbing its way onward, like a cog in a wheel.  The ear picks up the music, as it is moving from, note to note, chord to chord, all the time appealing to your emotions to end, after coming to a full circle, on a pleasing note.  This is what we are used to hearing and when you hear a transformation in a song you hear that flow change dramatically.  Could be a bridge that takes the song to a climatic moment and breaks up what could be monotonous.
Songs that have one subject and fixate on one idea are good for dancing, parties and even telling a story but, to me, they [...]

Music has always been around me... My dad named me after Beethoven's Jena Symphony (later finding that Beethoven did not write it), my mom played the piano, my brother was in a rock and blues band, my sister introduced me to The Supremes and The Beatles while my oldest brother introduced me to; The Beach Boys, The Ventures,The Mamas and Papas and Herb Albert. I lived for the new sounds streaming through the FM radio... The Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, The Who, Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Credence Clearwater, Jethro Tull, Elton John, Led Zepplin..etc. etc. music music music is all I ever cared about.
The first song I learned on guitar was, "Mr tambourine man" then sadly the guitar I was using (known as the "shit" guitar by my brother and his friends), I found being sacrificed in the huge BBQ we had at our mountain home's backyard.  I can still see it burning! Every Sunday, my family would BBQ and my brother's band would practice.  I loved [...]

"Vulnerability is the new power!"  so says, Bo Eason. This sounds odd coming from a former professional football player, but his story is compelling and touches on the human/spiritual factor that we all have a purpose in our lives.  Each of us has a story to tell of transformation that can help someone else.  The story may seem personal and leave you feeling vulnerable but when you release your story into the universe, it will gain you power...  Woah, I want to try that!  After all, I changed one of my songs from, "I Am Powerless" to "I'm a Power-girl."  Thus, making me feel transformed from "powerless" to "power-girl."
Have you ever felt completely powerless?  Where everything you do is not good enough and everyone else seems to be winning, while you're sadly lagging behind, having feelings of doubt and dread?  Do you ever have the feeling that people are taking advantage of you, because you're a woman or because you're a kind, loving, giving, [...]