” I don’t know where my songs come from but they always told me where to go. I rode the songs in like a wave. I wrote my first lyrics on NYC subways, planning to almost “rap” them, like poetry. My childhood home was troubled + even my choice of music was an act of rebellion against a family that considered “classical” music to be the “only” music. NYC was like my playground and I spent as much time away from home as possible … listened to alternative music stations like NPR – and discovered that my “odd” ideas about music weren’t so odd after all. My teachers were always amazing to me. I was like a “runaway with a scholarship” – escaping the challenges of an abusive childhood home, while embracing the wonders of learning new things every day. I got skipped several grades, so I was always the youngest in the class and a bit of a “lone wolf.” Training as a dancer and actress, I had no “instrument,” beyond my body, my voice and “percussion-words.” I “took dictation” from where-ever these lyrics seemed to “originate.” Sometimes they showed up in dreams, fully written. I’m a multi-cultural “Island Child Gone Wild in the City” ™ so “the beats” were there for me in every syllable, soaring guitars underneath. Beats, heartbeats, indigenous roots soul beats, syncopations from global girls in global cities – global streets – NYC, City Of Angels / L.A. , Sao Paolo / Brazil, Japanese Taiko – and – always, always on my mind and in my heart : Africa. Bits of alternative chords and multi-cultural percussions accompanied definitive words, but I can’t read/write music, so I was “locked out” of what i call the “musician’s locker room.” Baffled and intimidated by the idea of writing music to my lyrics, sometimes “triggered” by traumatic childhood incidents, I sought “music” for my lyrics. I knew that water was my “hood,” I was born on the water, as much as i adore NYC, my soul longed for water . So, I “caught a wave” for Cali. As I began working with my “buddy” in Los Angeles (iconic actor/musician Wings Hauser) my NYC notebooks filled with lyrics, hints of music, fragments – found their home with his melodies. Sometimes I read him the lyrics first and other times he played melodies that were instantly recognizable to me, as the destined partner for certain songs. My primitive fumblings for musical concepts “haunting” these lyrics were now finally “accessible.” As we developed the songs, I could “channel” ideas for which I previously had no vocabulary. “Shaping” the songs – my voice followed. The beats showed up again and they brought me home on my “Island Child Wild™ ” Wave.
by simply buying the album and movie, adding tracks to all your playlists, helping to share news of this one of a kind project …
our projects are #NoBigDough™$ and yet they support artists, techies, and craftspersons in this era of Big-Money-Media …
whether you buy, rent, or stream my #TinyMultiMedia™ – or buy a #BandTee from my store at #CaliLIliCiti™ on #Spreadshirt – or simply follow, like and share –
Intellectual Property Warning : As with all content posted on pages by Cali Lili All rights registered and reserved by Cali Lili ; Cali Lili Indies ™ Pictures Words Music In Motion ™ feMt0™studi0 VenusBeach™ Cutting Edge Of The Pacific ™
The Indie Movie a narrative drama indie feature film, which includes feminist themes, social-justice and environmental justice themes, along with LGBTQ content – but which also includes AMAZING footage of Sea-Life : “OctaviaThe Octopus™” graced us with her cephalopod strutting during principle photography as did “LegsTheCrab™” and beautiful sea-birds featured in the movie.
*** please NOTE : the film is an Allegorical Avant-Garde fable for Grown-Ups HOWEVER : since I will always be a “kid” – releasing projects for “kids of every age ” : parents can share these awesome sea-life clips with kids ! please note there will be future kid-friendly suggestions
AND
an UPCOMING #KidsBook IS ON THE WAY from our kids’ division c.lili.sillyZ™ c.monster™ so please stay tuned ! )
This applies not only to plastic and other waste that ends up in the oceans, harming our
SistersOfTheSea™
but ALSO
to the Oil and Gas from Cars, SHIPS, Boats, All forms of water-craft +Industries …
along with CHEMICALS such as Chlorine – which should NEVER be used on Boats and Ships … to other harsh Chemical Surfactants, Soaps, etc …
Step One : First : Reduce : LESS really is MORE! use LESS of everything!
Step TWO : ReUSE : #Upcycle ! get creative! Some of our best ideas come from UP-cycling : It’s just more FUN than buying increasing amounts of: future trash !
Step Three : after steps one + two : then Recycle
More Tips On The Way … ~ > > >
During Oceans’ Day and BEYOND : we will post ideas on how we can all nurture Mother Earth, SisterOcean™ AND also : OURSELVES …
When We SaveTheSea …
We also
Save Our-Selves
SaveTheSeaSaveOurSelves
AquaCultureZ™ BluePlanetGreenSpaceZ™
I was “born on the water” and ever since, I’ve been ‘called’ and connected to the ocean, as my spirit-source.
The Cali Lili Indies™ pWMiM™ feMt0™studi0 is my hand-built, sustainable, upcycled, green ‘SurFLoft™H20’ which includes a ‘living floor’partly featured in the movie
It’s where my team + i create one-of-a-kind Signature, ‘Single-Origin’ collectible ‘pieces’ which I have come to call : ‘ c.lilis™ AquaCultureZ™’
My minimalist style, which began during my early teenage work in theater ( I was skipped several grades and began college at the age of 13) – has now become a significant trademark of my studio. My aesthetic, along with my deep love for the ocean and mother earth, for wild-life such as wolves, and for sea-life especially cetaceans, cephalopods, and ocean crabs, made it a clear choice – that I would create the concept of ‘SustainableFilmSetZ™’ where all my sets were culled from up-cycled objects which would then become up-cycled again after the production ( like the construction of my studio loft) and at-least 90% of my wardrobe was made from up-cycled garments and/or hand-made from scratch – destined for up-cycling ‘MadeFromReturnedTo™’
Dream Big Tiny FootPrintZ™DeclarationOfIndiePenDance™
My HandMade ArtisanalMovies™ + ArtisanalMusic™ projects are the result of ‘lived experience’ and we call them ‘HandMade2MakeADifference™” because the studio and projects were born from my response to ‘MeToo’ experiences as well as – my desire to create a project with an all female production crew ( we may have been the first ? but certainly among the very first ) along with my dedication to telling Social Justice Stories + Environmental Justice Stories, unencumbered by ‘big money’ / corporate studio over-lords.
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