Welcome To The SoulBird Perch
Happy New Year Yall!
Basic advice we’ve all heard from spiritual communities and business coaches alike: DO WHAT YOU LOVE. Right?
And you’d be right to assume that I love music. Its the music INDUSTRY that I HATE. I DO not use that word unless I mean it. I HATE the music industry.
SO, TODAY, I decided to actually DO what I love.
WRITE.
I write ALL day. I ALWAYS have a pen and journal at hand. I fill up 8 Journals a year?
I am also an automatic writer (if you know you know) and I’m just beginning to share some of that writing with my closest friends. I’ve been doing it since 2003, and last summer, I just decided to call it what is. Automatic writing.
And of course, most people know me as a songwriter, and for ME, it was always the sharing of the songs that would make me tolerate the UTTER SHIT SHOW, that the music industry is. And let me clear, I don’t deal in hyperbole, if anything I sweeten things. That said, the Music industry is DARK.
That darkness is how I learned to intensify my LIGHT.
During 2020 when EVERYTHING shifted in my personal life, I decided to put ME first. My whole life, ... MY WHOLE LIFE, ... was committed to my mission: “To spread love healing peace and joy, through the power of words and music” to the point that I didn’t take care of my ACTUAL self.
So ... in 2020 I finally realized, I needed to put myself on that list. I wasn’t even on the LIST.
And finally by the Summer of 2020 when every single one of my of my emotional safe space friendships unexpectedly ended, I realized I needed to put me FIRST.
So, out of love for myself, I stopped doing the music industry. I just STOPPED.
And I’ve been doing ONLY what I love: Hours and hours of meditation. I became a certified meditation teacher, and I offer the “I am Light scholarship” to the Davidji meditation academy.
I luxuriated! In prayer. There’s a lot to pray about.
And several hours a day of writing. Not as a “discipline” not as a job, but out of JOY.
As a Songwriter, I’ve written ONE original song since 2020 and that was a freestyle ( “HI” Robert Glasper Ft. India Arie ) which also happens to be my first E for explicit rated record LOL ~ I have to laugh at that because my entire career I was committed to making clean music. Now, since putting ME first, I’m committed to making REAL music.
In the Summer of 2021 inspired my Martha Becks book ‘Way of Integrity” (this is before it was an Oprah book club pick) I decided to tell the truth for A FULL YEAR. I learned some surprising lessons - a post for another time, but just let me say I MOSTLY learned, that telling the truth starts with telling it to yourSELF first.
So, thats what I Imagine will be published here on the SoulBird Perch. If you follow my IG stories you know, I have lots of truth to tell.
Another big truth is, I also adore singing. I didn’t say I adore BEING a professional singer. I said “singing”
I still ADORE it.
I’ve been featured on several records between 2020 - 2022
I’m going to try to name all of them
“HI”. Robert Glasper Ft. India Arie
OM TARE Deva Premal and Mitten Ft. India Arie
FOLLOW Fancy Fingers ( of Sauti Sol) Ft. India Arie
I GOT MY SMILE BACK Stormzy Ft. India Arie
WE STARTED A SONG Melissa Polinar Ft. India Arie
FOREVER Robert Glasper PJ Morton and India Arie
MY EVERYTHING Sauti Sol Ft. India Arie
I AM Beautiful Chorus Ft. India Arie
GOLD. Jake Issac Ft. India Arie
I may have missed a couple
and there is also more in the queue for 2023. cant WAIT till you hear those!
I wrote my verses on these songs, but writing your OWN songs as opposed to writing a verse in someone else’s song is akin to passenger vs. driver seat. there still movement but one person has a lot more responsibility I love collaborating, and hope to do a lot more in 2023
I may even write some of my own songs. I honestly, don’t know but Id count it a blessing to be inspired again.
But being in that drivers seat is a HUGE commitment, it takes a lot of focus, and as a songwriter who also PERFORMS the songs, PROMOTES THEM, MARKETS THEM … Making an FULL album is like writing books: it’s as complicated, as detailed, it takes as much editing, and I dont think most people understand, its takes A LOT OF DRIVE and inspiration. The music industry ruined all that joy and inspiration for me.
SO, I just wanna do ME, and thats what you will find HERE. I’m going to share a lot of my thoughts on spirituality, because that is the center of my life. I want to share my WISDOM, and my stance on the politics of the music industry after 22 years IN the industry. I want to share some of my experiences past and present, as a way for you to see yourself in my stories. Random musings cause I have lots of random thoughts lol ( if you follow me on IG then you know) Especially about romantic relationships, and sometimes just venting, about the state of humanity. The disillusionment has been MASSIVE around humanity for me, so Imma just sometimes … IMMA JUST GO OFF.
YEP I said “IMMA GO OFF”
thats another thing you can a expect on The Soul Bird Perch: Im a black woman from the south, sometimes I like to write like that. it’s intentional so don’t bother correcting me lol
sometime it be like that *shrug*
you gotta say it plain to clear the pain. I think I made that up, I’m not sure but it IS one of my favorite saying.
“you gotta say it plain to clear the pain”
I guess its easy for me to make up things like that. as a songwriter. lol
Lastly, I have no idea how often I’ll post.
My intention is at least, once a week.
And MOST, 3 times a week.
But Who knows, it could be more.
Long posts
Short posts
Random thought bursts
Little quotes
Bur
That’s were I am.
That’sWhy I’m here.
LASTLY: ( for real this time)
My commitment to truth the one I made in 2021, led to the biggest public moment of 2022.
Me protesting SPOTIFY for investing in a podcaster who regularly used the N word while SPOTIFY was paying the musicians who built their platform DUST.
A fraction of a penny .. that would definatly be considered dust.
Musicians are struggling to live from their craft, and the world gets all of it for $10 a month, but none of that $10 goes to us ... we get a fraction of a penny per play. But I digress.
My point is, Standing up to spotify made me a target for people defending this guy, this podcaster, They wanted me to know that he’s not racists while they themSELVES were bring racist. I was called the N WORD A LOT. I even got death threats. A LOT.
Which led to my 2nd FAAAAAVORITE public moment of 2022
Infact this is my 2nd favorite moment period of 2022
My conversation with Trevor Noah on The Daily Show.
PLEASE see it if you can.
I did an AMAZING! job! I REALLY REALLY DID! An AMAZING JOB Lol
SO!
in light of saying things plain to clear the pain?
My Mottos for 2023!
Doing ME in 2023
Being FREE in 20203
IDGAFWABGTSAM in 2023 (Google it, it’ll come right up, and I mean EVERY WORD)
NOW, MY FIRST FAVORITE MOMENT OF 2022
I’ll discuss that in my next post.
But for now, Thank you for reading.
And More to come
From my SoulBird Perch
INDIA ARIE
p.s. OH! read all caps as emphasized words, how we italicize words for emphasis? Like that .. My hand literally just types CAPS. kind of like writing music ~ trying to capture tone. Either way ... I’m just doing me.
alright Yall
Before I go
my main mantra for 2023
Protecting my Peace … in 2023
India Arie