Friday, April 12, 2013

too much teen suicide~ bullied? call to talk to someone now




call this number to find someone to talk to completely anonymously, if you need to talk..... Kids Help Phone 1-800-668-6868



It's heartbreaking how easy it is to find images of Teens who have killed themselves due to bullying, for me to make this video it took no time to find several examples. Even one is too many and here are a litany.


We need to find out what is it about a school that finds itself talked about because students are accepting of a special needs teen and offering him the winning shot in a basketball game, as opposed to another school somewhere else which say...finds themselves glaring in the media spotlight only because their students were allowing bullying that got so bad someone killed themselves?

What are we teaching our children?


Remorse too late, is too late. How do we inspire kids to greatness now, not after someone dies? How do we get them to want greatness for each other and to help each other achieve it so that ultimately they ALL can live in a better world?


Until we figure it out there are sad and unhappy kids who don't know yet that it will get better, it REALLY will get better if they just reach out and take a hand, make a call and talk to someone. It will get better and you will come out stronger.... so fight.
Call and someone who will help you fight.


Song Baby Blue originally written and performed by Chilliwack www.gonegonegone.com/ To find my version, look for the iTunes link


Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Just a little video clip of the Indestructibles, at the Boulevard Casino

This is another one of the wonderful bands I have the pleasure of sometimes singing with. The fabulous Indestructibles! I love doing big background vocals and this band gives me that experience~
The Indestructibles: Featuring John Delaney, Brian Newcombe, Darrell Mase, Kristian Alexandrov, Tim Hearsey, Derry Byrne, Jerry Cook, Rachael Chatoor, and Catherine St Germain. (and when it is not me singing with them it is the wonderful Kelly Brock) Take care everyone! Rach

Friday, February 22, 2013

Original painting slideshow~ (Ed Henderson's guitar)

Yesterday I delivered this custom painting to Ed Henderson, he plays guitar for the band Chilliwack and he also writes and composes incredible acoustic music, this is a representation of his beloved guitar. Afterwards I went home and made a slideshow of the evolution of the painting and set it to one of his original compositions, here it is, enjoy!





Rach

Sunday, February 17, 2013

ooooooooh Barracuda! (with special guest Roger Fisher)

Terry Gibbard, Curtis Michael Leppi, Rod Knowlan, Donna Caruk, Rachael Chatoor, Bob McIntosh
 
 
So out of the blue one day, I got this call from a lady named Donna who said she has a Heart tribute band named Barracuda and I thought....oh cool someone is finally asking me to sing some Ann Wilson! But it turned out she is the one who sings the Ann (and she just nails it by the way) and she was calling to ask me if I wanted to learn Nancy's parts. Nancy's parts?
I  laughed out loud at her...."I don't play guitar!  I mean, I ok yes play guitar but I don't play like "guitar goddess" guitar like Nancy does. I'm all strummy strummy and stuff".
 
She chuckled and said she had seen me play and said she had faith in me and then she started telling me about the project and she basically reminded me that I could do anything I wanted to, I just had to set my mind to it. So I agreed to meet with her and her co-bandmate (and musical director) Rod and after a couple hours of chatting, doing harmonies and me playing  guitar on the one Heart song I knew at the time, we agreed we were going to make it happen. For a few months then, I hung out in the woodshed learning first the material and then how to play it. During that time I received enormous help from Rod Knowlan who made fantastic and unusual charts that actually worked for me and gave me a clear and focused path to walk which would surely lead me to success, if I only applied myself.
 
And apply myself I did because I was so inspired. You see I also bought Nancy's instructional DVD to help me learn a few basics and in watching and studying her work I just came to adore her. There were moments in the video where she would say cute things like: 'well there is this little strange thingy I do here and I don't know the name of this chord exactly but someone you know who plays will probably tell you it if you need to know it and any case it looks and sounds like this..........'! 
I laughed when I heard that for it I related so easily to her, and I loved so much that it felt like Nancy just by virtue of being herself gave me permission to carry on trying 
even though I only know what I know.
 
And so it's not only because of the great project itself but I also have Nancy and her kind essence and amazing work that I wish to hold up and honor. It's motivated me on so many levels to push myself much farther than I have ever pushed myself before and well.... I am always grateful for those growing experiences and the people who inspire me to make them happen. 

I got a message one day that our first show would be in a couple of months at Blue Frog Studios and that we would be doing video for our EPK and............ whoa wowo, first gig eh? I think I said to them: ...."You guys do remember this will be my first time doing this material, I'll have no charts and I'll also be playing two brand new (to me) instruments right?"
And it was like..."Yep"
That's it. I didn't get any coddling or babying or nothing........ I was just expected to be ready. 
So, I picked up my guitar and kept practising and learning.
 
Then the show date was right there on top of us and we started hearing a rumor from  friend and former booking agent for the band Heart, Barry Samuels, that brothers Roger and Michael Fisher (you know Roger Fisher the original guitarist for Heart who co-wrote songs like Barracuda and Love Alive, and Michael Fisher the "Magicman" himself who was the bands manager as well as everything else important and integral to the band)........would be coming to the show.
huh? I was a little stunned, I must admit.
I  decided there was only one thing to do, go out there and rock.
 
So I picked up my guitar and, you know, did what I've been doing.........only this time I played a hole right into my callused finger. Great, another thing for me to worry about, my fingers are falling off  and I definitely need them.......... however, it was nothing a little crazy glue didn't fix  and I actually felt quite fierce walking onstage with my finger glued back together,
 kinda  like a little musical, warrior goddess.
 

 
 
 

 
 

 

 
 

 
Terry playing guitar(/keys/vox) was in the same boat as me, this was his first gig with the band. No pressure eh? What a blast it was, so glad to be on this side of it!  And centre stage there is Rod Knowlan on the guitar(/keys/mandolin/vox) and he deserves big, heavy kudos as music director for helping me learn all this fantastic music. I'll also take a moment here to thank bandmates Bob (bass) and Curtis(drums) for being a magnificent rhythm section, you guys power the train and your work together was awesome. And Donna....sister you were the one who pushed me and I thank you, it's an absolute pleasure to sing and play with you and the band. 
 
And at the very end of it all we had the pleasure and privilege of having Roger Fisher join us onstage for the last three songs and let me tell ya... it was off the charts. On one hand there were moments I was dangling in slow motion saying to myself focus, pinch yourself, be here this is happening........ and the rest of the time it was just a mad, fantastic, surreal, complete blur whizzing by! It only all comes completely together when I watch the videos  to be honest.
 
 
 





 

 
Donna, Roger, Barry, Me

 
Roger Fisher, Me, Michael Fisher
 
 
 
 
Photo credits to Dave McKenzie and Don York and more can be seen on Barracuda's facebook page...HERE......and also thanks to Don Snell for sharing the videos and photos......Don was a drummer for the great Sweeny Todd you can check out more of his videos here on his You Tube channel. http://www.youtube.com/user/MrToonz123?feature=watch
 
And finally I can't possibly leave this post without including this bit of epic breaking news for Heart fans everywhere.....Heart’s leading front-women, Ann and Nancy Wilson, along with the entire original male lineup of the band, will perform together for the first time in 33 years, at the 2013 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.about the original memeber of Heart.
see more HERE
 
Stand by for official videos and EPK coming to you from Farting Puppy Productions.

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Rachael Chatoor, acoustic solo covers video from Bistro 72


Below is a bunch of clips from a little iPhone video taken last night at Bistro 72 while I was doing my solo acoustic show. If this looks and sounds like something you would like to hear at your event, party, venue, show or festival please send inquiries to rachaelchatoor at hotmail dot com


All songs are cover songs except for Everything Breaks which is my original song. (see my Reverbnation profile for recorded version, Thanks!)







Enjoy.  Thanks for the visit!
Rachael

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Feelings for Sale, now on iTunes!

For Sale


One sister for sale!
One sister for sale!
One crying and spying young sister for sale!
I’m really not kidding,
So who’ll start the bidding?
Do I hear the dollar?
A nickel?
A penny?
Oh, isn’t there, isn’t there, isn’t there any
One kid that will buy this old sister for sale,
This crying and spying young sister for sale?
 
~Shel Silverstein
 
 

I took the lyric idea for my song "Feelings for Sale" from Shel Silverstien's poem "Sister for sale" and instead of a sister, the item up on the auction block were some old "crying and vying dumb feelings" that I  knew I shouldn't keep wrapping myself up in. 
It made some sense to me....for how many artists (I had wondered).... be they poets, potters, painters, songwriters or whatever....put their hard to manage feelings... into their work?
Most, if not all, I would imagine.

That is the magic of Art, that it will often turn something that makes the artist feel a little blue, into something that makes someone else smile.

You never quite know just how many tears or smiles are mixed into any one piece but it is indeed a piece of the artist.




Feelings for sale is now available on iTunes! Click HERE to buy this song.

Thank to Millennia Sound Design for turning my rough draft tune into a complete and final mix!
For more recording information and album credits please see below link to this previous blogpost!
http://rachaelpachel.blogspot.ca/2012/05/new-songs-coming-at-ya.html



 


And if you are looking for a custom guitar painting, one of a kind, by me....visit my Etsy Shop!


Take care of yourselves. Love Rach

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Robson Square, the Hitzone and free ice skating!

 Last night Sat Dec 1,  the Hitzone kicked off the 2012 season of wonderful live entertainment that Robson Square provides for it's skating patrons.
What a wonderful festive time of year, what a great night, what a beautiful thing to do for all ages. If you are looking for something special to do this holiday season with your friends or family bring them down, and if you come on a Saturday night  the whole place comes alive with a live band to keep your skates sliding!
 
 








And do watch for Hitzone to be part of the magic again! We will be rocking the arena two more times as of this date.....Jan 5th and Feb 2nd!  You can also catch the Hitzone at a few of the casinos around town.....The weekend of Dec 7-8 we are at Lion's den at the Boulevard Casino, then you can find us at Starlight casino  on Dec 21st, and we'll be ripping up the stage at Lulu's lounge in the River Rock Casino on Dec 28th and 29th! Polish up your dancing shoes friends, it's party season!

Love Rach xo