This is my newest music video. I hope you enjoy it. This music piece has quickly become one of my fastest rising improvisations currently playing on 3 streaming sites, as well as a variety of other social media sites. When someone likes my music it is the best feeling for me.
My recordings are all home recordings. It’s been awhile since I made a recording in a music studio and since I am not an engineer, and my knowledge of sound mixing is nonexistent, there are at times obvious mistakes I’m not sure how to fix.
This recording of, Who is Taking Care of My Broken Heart, mentions Jamie’s son, the man who is the main character in my book, Inside The Forbidden Outside.
Jamie has not been able to have any kind of face to face relationship with his son while he has been incarcerated because no one but myself has taken him to see his father. I live far away and can’t easily get to Texas. No one else has done much of anything to help and support him. You find it who really loves you and who only say the words
This music for the chapter in my book when Jamie is moved from a prison in Beeville, TX, called McConnell Unit, deep southern Texas, to a prison closer to home in East Texas. Maybe now he will get visitors and also get to see his son again.
What a hectic year this has been. Unbelievable. But it has been a wonderful year as well. At the end of 2017 I decided to compellingly rewrite my book “Inside The Forbidden Outside”. 90k words, plus a new book cover. Learning to write is a craft like any other. It takes practice and a quest for knowledge.
I’ve been traveling by train to and from the Florida Keys for a year, a month in each place and then switching, as I try to help my son with his two youngest children. That is a challenge, grabbing quiet hours! Through all of it life has been full and rewarding. I am optimistic that what I’m doing will be successful. I wouldn’t be able to do it without the followers I have developed at all the websites I utilize. The positive feedback I get back tells me I’m on the right track.
I have written many things in my life along with two blogs and had a short story published in an anthology, but it is not the same as writing a book. It was a good experience writing the first complete manuscript but it didn’t really say what I wanted to say. So I studied to figure out what I wanted to accomplish. I wanted to finish this second draft by the end of this year but there is still so much to do. I spend every waking moment on some aspect of this, spinning one necessary plate after another.
I am more than half way done with this draft and quite a bit of music has been recorded so far. If I only had to finish writing the book it would most likely be done. Adding music and promoting it is time consuming. It is also hard to spend enough time on my blogs or being able to go back to blogs I have liked as often as I want to.
I sincerely appreciate those who listen to my music, watched my music videos and read any parts of the chapters I have posted. It is my desire to write this story as best I can in a way that entices you to read until the end and share it with your friends. I believe what I am writing has value – educating society to understand the truth about what lies in inside our prisons. You can read more on my other blog – My Name is Jamie. My Life in Prison. The first post on the blog gives you the opportunity to purchase a T-shirt or totebag with Jamie’s picture as I try to raise funds to help him. There are also music videos at the blog, but you can go directly to Sonni Quick Improv Piano at YouTube as well to subscribe, like and
Please subscribe to ITFO News for occasional updates on the book and at my main website – sonniquick.net to hear new music, guaranteed to help you sleep and create wonderful dreams. On my Facebook page Improv Piano Music of Sonni Quick you will also hear the work of other musicians I enjoy and want to share with you. You can also use the share links below to share this post on your own social media. Your support is precious to me.
I never thought I’d have to live in such a lonely place I touch the walls on either side I never thought I’d call this home Memories here I can’t erase A thousand people all alone
I never thought this was where I’d be My life would work it out I never dreamed my window was the only way I’d see the beauty of the world outside How can I continue?
An unintended consequence Not thinking what will be the end result, not thinking through Pretending I was being free I didn’t think, I never thought my careless choice I can’t undo
I never thought what would I crave the most if taken away The touch of skin, your silken breath? Sends goosebumps up my spine I shiver once and desire more “You didn’t think,” I heard you cry
I only have my memories now To keep me warm at night I wrap my arms around my head Pretending you are touching me It will be years, will you be gone? Touching someone else instead
An unintended consequence Not thinking what will be the end result, not thinking through Thinking I was being free But I didn’t think, I never thought It would mean losing you
There is a chapter in the book I am writing with the same title. The book chronicals Jamie’s life in prison and his maturing from a boy into a man. This is a true story taken from hundreds of letters we shared, along with a creative narrative joining the events together I had to crawl inside his head to understand but after 13 years of writing to him I understand him pretty well. At the link for the chapter you can subscribe to my mailing list to get periodic updates
Because of the sheer volume of work that needs to be done preparing this book and writing the music and videos it is hard to keep up my 2 blogs as frequently as I’d like. Thank you so much for your support.
This is my latest YouTube Video with another one in the works. If you go to my other blog My Name is Jamie you will find a book chapter to go with it. While you are there please take the time to subscribe to my newsletter. ( published about once a month or so I don’t abuse your inbox. ) I don’t have time to publish it more often with everything else I’m writing. But I want to keep up with those who want to know how Jamie’s life turns out along with all the obstacles he faces in prison.
I think it is important for people to understand what is really happening vs the propaganda the media often puts out because the prison industrial complex is very powerful. So much of our government accepts their money to keep their campaign war chests full. We know of other corporations who spread money around so the govt does their bidding. I am hoping when I am done writing this book ( again ) and finish the music, I will have a story worth telling and worth reading. I need your help to share it to your people to create a following. You can also subscribe to the mailing list at my music website at sonniquick.net
Remember your life When nothing could defeat you? Nothing came between your dreams to make you think you won’t succeed. All the world is yours if you believe with all your heart All your hope of things to come will push away the doubt of some who want to see if you will fall from up above the sky so high. Spread your wings and ride … the wind Soar through the air like life depends on every dream you ever had You can’t lose the power of your dreams to anyone who can’t believe in you If you cry from deep within Never let the fear begin to hold you down it’s strength you need to make every dream be real Don’t let it in and keep you down Become the man you found Through all the years you only had yourself to hear you Now the time has come to show… the world that you are more than anyone took the time to know
Latest music video uploaded to YouTube to go with a chapter for my book “Inside The Forbidden Outside” about the life of Jamie Cummings currently in Allred Prison in Iowa Park, Texas.
What started out as only a book, now in the second draft, became a book with music, a soundtrack with music for each chapter with the same title. Since all of my music is improvised, that is a pretty big project to work on.
The music business is different than when I was a working musician back in the 70’s and 80’s. There was no internet! We could not share our music with anyone except at a live gig. Most musicians barely had enough money to record a so-so demo at a recording studio and have 2″ tape reels run off into 1/4″ tapes and then run off on cassette tapes. We didn’t give them out to people. If they were good enough we sold them at gigs. We also sent them to record producers and had no way of knowing if they went straight into the trash. If we had a gig somewhere that let us play original music we staples notices on electric poles near the club announcing we’d be playing. Sometimes we had a booking agent who booked bands into clubs that wanted top 40 music.
Everything is so different now. People hear my music more now through the internet than I’m sure heard me at gigs. Playing live is fun, but it is a lot of work unless you have someone carting your equipment around for you. I used to have that, but it was a different era. I don’t have near the energy or muscle tone to do that anymore. Although I’d love to play live again, and I’m sure I will when this is done, in the meantime I have to conform to what people need to hear and see.
That means music videos. At first I thought, “how?” I’m not playing live, until I found software programs that help you make videos. Now this was fun! But still it takes quite a bit of time, and I’m still learning and getting ready to try a new software program.
There are quite a number of places to submit your music profile – radio programs, magazines and much more. When they pull up your profile they want to see videos and every self respecting musician has at least one. The more the better. Having a YouTube channel with subscribers can make or break their interest in you.
So now I am making videos for my chapters for the book. I can only do one thing at a time. Everything progresses, but at 1/3 the speed. If you like what I’m doing, the best thing you can do for me is to click on the YouTube icon on the video and go there and like, comment or subscribe. You can’t like a video if you don’t actually go to YouTube, but it will record a play. I need stats until it gets far enough along to multiply on it’s own. The channel is only 2 1/2 months old, with a new video made about every 2 weeks. When I have 20 videos and they are being promoted, especially when the book is published, then I can use other media outlets for promotion. Right now I need you guys – unless you really don’t like it.
It is very important to me that this effort be successful. Another life depends on it – and someday in this latter part of my life I’ll just get too old. Until then, I’ll pretend I’m 36 instead of 63.
My main website that has music and videos in one place is simply Sonni Quick
You can sign up on my mailing list for when I put out the next new music or videos, (which I promise not to abuse!)
This is new music and poetry for a chapter in the book I’m writing. “Inside The Forbidden Outside,” which has gone through many changes since I began writing. Because it has been so labor intensive I have to believe there is a reason. I have to hope it will help Jamie when be gets out. He has read chapters, but he has heard no music being in prison. There will be so much to hear and read, especially on my other blog, My Name Is Jamie.There will be a video made for this music, too. All chapters will have music – about 50% is recorded, a music video ( 4th one being done) found at Sonni Quick Piano Improv – You Tube channel
This music is a piece I really enjoyed playing. If I “try” to compose it usually ends up missing something. It doesn’t work. If it hits me in the middle of the night or I have to stop what I’m doing to go play my piano, it comes out and I don’t know where it comes from. Playing these pieces of music, and I can play them only once, feels so good. After that they are gone. I can only listen to the recording of it. The same with any poetry I write and I’m sure other poets understand – I read it for the first time when I’m done.
In the book, which is written from letters, is Jamie’s story, but there is a place when it changes from the written words in the letters to me being real. I don’t want to say anymore about the story, but it is where this title comes from.
You can subscribe to the mailing list for my music stuff by going to sonniquick.net
“Where did you come from?” I cried You raised your finger to your lips and whispered, “No one can hear me No one but you can see me I’m a ghost in your head To keep you company
I know the days are much too long Use memories your mind creates For days you don’t feel very strong Endless time, will it ever end? Around in circles never straight Time goes slowly, round the bend
Years are passing, you see your age Watch the moon all night long I see your head lay in your hands Wondering how it went so wrong You always seem to lose so much You tell yourself, I don’t understand
You need to reach your hand and touch Feel the warmth of who is there It makes you human, a worthy man Even though no one’s left and no one cared “But you,” you say “Here you stand” “I could touch you,” and reach out your hand
How do I know you won’t disappear? You kept me going, when I lost my way I felt only anger, in my head there was fear I couldn’t think there’d be hope someday I wanted to tear these walls apart I wanted to scream but no one would hear
You kept me sane. You fed me words There is a reason for all of this “Be patient,” you said, then I heard “Imagine a life only you can see There are ghosts in your head You can learn to be free”
