Just dropping in to say Hi..... Hi!

     It's safe to say I'm still no good at posting regularly on this blog. I'm trying to get my life a little bit more organized so here I am! First blog post of April! Look for at least one more before the end of this month.
     I've got some exciting stuff coming up. Next week I'm making a trip back to good ole Nashville *Insert happy dance here*. I'll be going to do a photo shoot with one of my favorite human beings on the planet,  Goldy Locks. I worked with her about a year and a half ago and loved it! She's the one who took these beautiful pictures that I've been using for promo (Plus they ended up on People.com)-

     Fun fact: When I first shot with her it was on my Mom's birthday. This time it will be on my Dad's birthday. :D 

     The next thing I'll be doing is a vocal lesson with Brett Manning. Words can't express how excited I am for that. I've already had one lesson with him plus I use his Singing Success Cd's. Come this summer your jaw is gonna drop thanks to my kick butt vocal skills (probably not but hey at least I have confidence!).

     While I'm in Nashville I'll probably look for some songwriter nights. Who knows, I may end up at the Bluebird. One thing I love about Nashville is when you're not trying so hard it is actually a beautiful and fun place to be. I've found with my past trips you don't need to stress over meeting the right people or being better than everyone else. Sometimes you just need to enjoy the moment and the music. Which is exactly what I'm gonna do!

     I hope you are all doing well! Sending hugs and kisses your way! xx


~C


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2014!!!

     Hello there! I'm a whole week late with this blog post. Ironically, that's one thing I'm going to try to be better at this year. Wow, it's hard to believe it's 2014 isn't it? We all make new year resolutions. Most of the time we don't keep them for more than two weeks but at least it's a start. I'd like to think a new year is a new start for everyone. During Christmas break I found one of my old sketch pads in my closet. At the beginning of last year I decided I would make a goal list of things I wanted to accomplish in 2013. I had totally forgotten all about it. When I started looking at some of the goals I had written I was truly surprised by how many of them I had actually done within the year. Considering I'm the type of person who dreams big, a lot of the goals were crazy. But that's the thing about a whole year, stuff that seems impossible can actually happen.

     For example, see number 1? Open for a big name artist. I checked that off my list in the first month of 2013. I got the chance to open for Edwin McCain. Not to mention it also helped me check off Meet someone famous. He wasn't the only famous person I got to meet either. I also got to talk to one of my songwriting heroes. Passenger. I got to tell Mike Rosenberg that he was a big inspiration to me and in return he gave me one of the biggest hugs I've ever received from a person. If you had told me that would happen last new years I would have thought you were lying.

(Meeting Edwin McCain!)

(Seeing Passenger!! Best night ever.)

     Another thing I crossed off my list pretty early in the year was Perform in Arenas & Stadiums. I performed the National Anthem at four 'Monster Jam' shows and played several sets at two meet & greet pit parties in both Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, and the PNC Arena in Raleigh. Not to mention I also performed the National Anthem at the Charlotte Knights Baseball Stadium. Not exactly the kind of stadium I was talking about but it still counts. That was definitely something I thought I wouldn't get to do even when I wrote it on my list. Singing in an arena is one of my new favorite things.

    I never did get to visit L.A. or tour five different states, but I did Perform in a different country. Three different countries actually. Last spring I went on a trip to Ireland, Scotland, and England. I was lucky enough to get to play at a pub in Dublin, courtesy of a very nice guy who let me play a couple songs on his guitar. I ended up playing the piano and singing at our hotel bar in Scotland (that one was very interesting...) and I busked on the side of the street in York, England. Some of my best memories of 2013 are on that trip. I definitely want to go back and play some places in Europe. That's going on my 2014 goal list.

(Singing at Foleys Pub in Dublin, Ireland)

(Me and my dad on Hadrian's Wall in England)

     Be on another talk show was crossed off in November when I was on WCCB News Rising. That same TV station interviewed Ian Somerhalder a few weeks before I was on (that's just how big of a deal it was). Get my full song played mainstream happened thanks to Divakar on 106.5 The END. 

     There's still a few things that I didn't finish on my list, but looking back I've accomplished so much. I've gotten the chance to do so many things I didn't think were possible this past year plus some things I didn't even imagine getting to do. I guess I just wanted to share with you all how many crazy good things can happen to you in one year. It's okay to make goals and resolutions that seem impossible. The point isn't getting them all done, it's having hope and aspiring to be something great. Who knows? They might actually come true if you work hard. 

     I know a lot of you have had ups and downs this past year. The end of 2013 was a little rough for me because I lost someone very important to me. My cousin Mike died of cancer December 9th. It's been bittersweet to look back at all these amazing things that happened this past year because he was always right there when they happened. He's supported me from my very first youtube video and performance right down the watching me on TV for the Thanksgiving day parade. No matter what happened in 2013, make sure you do something great in 2014. Good things and bad things will happen. Just be grateful you have a whole other year to make a difference. 

     Thank you for all the amazing support in 2013. I'm looking forward to so many great things in this new year. I have been blessed beyond words. I love you with all my heart!   

xx C


P.S. You'll have to wait till the next new year to see my 2014 goal list! :)


Maybe it's not my weekend but it's gonna be my year - All Time Low

Christmas Decorating!

     Hi everyone! This post was suppose to be written a couple weeks ago, but just like it has for everyone else, Christmas has been sneaking up on me. I decided I would go all out and decorate my room this year. I've been seeing on Facebook and Twitter that I wasn't the only one having a hard time getting in the Christmas spirit. This was definitely a way for me to get excited. I thought I would share with you guys a few Christmassy pictures to bring some Christmas Joy!

(I put a string of lights on my dresser.)

(I switched out my sheets and bedding. This quilt was a birthday gift from my grandma last year.)

(For anyone who doesn't know, I'm a huge build-a-bear fan. Rudolph and Clarice just happen to be two of my favorites.)

(I actually have these up all year round but they just added to the Christmassy feel.)

(Every year I put up my Teddy Bear Christmas Tree. My mom has given me bear ornaments since I was a little kid. This is probably one of my favorite decorations this year.)

(Our fireplace in the living room.)

(Putting the Star on our Christmas Tree.)

(The finished product of all our decorating!)

     I hope this has brought you some Christmas excitement! I will probably do another post after Christmas. So here's the final picture...

Merry Christmas!

Love, Carson

Cloudy Days and Mondays

     It's finally October! Crazy right? Fall has always been one of my favorite seasons. The air starts to get chilly, the leaves start to change, and the holidays start getting closer. When I was younger I would get excited when October came because it meant only one more month till my birthday. Plus, when the weather got colder, I could go play in the woods without worrying about snakes. Now, I enjoy it because I start seeing pumpkins on peoples porches and kids are getting excited over what they're going to be for Halloween. Everyone starts anticipating Thanksgiving and Christmas, and looking forward to fall break. It's just a happy time of year. I've always been a cold weather kind of girl, so when I woke up and saw it was chilly and overcast on a Monday morning, I thought what better way to enjoy the start of October than to go outside and take some pictures without the killer heat. There's quite a few I wanted to share, and I am by no means a great photographer, but I enjoyed taking them none the less.

(My kitty named Garth. She thinks she's a predator sometimes.)

(The leaves are changing!)

(This is Freckles. He's my walking buddy when the cats stop following.)

(Our cute mailbox.)

(Walking back down my driveway I saw my grandpa getting out of his truck. He's quite the model.)

(My sister's kitty name Voltaire. I know, we give strange names…)

     There you have it! I love, love, love overcast days. I hope guys have enjoyed looking at my pictures. If not, then at least lie and say you do. Haha. Feel free to comment your favorite things about fall! I'd love to hear about it. Thanks for reading!

xx Carson 

Sometimes All You Can Do Is Hate...

     I bet some of you guys are wondering what's up with the title of this post. Well first of all it's lyrics to a song that is called "I Hate" by Passenger. The song basically talks about the things in life you can't help but hate. There are some things you can't change, especially in this crazy world. Being a singer/songwriter isn't always easy. Most people just see the good side of what I do, but they never see some of the bad stuff. For example, I have to do school just like every other kid. I'm home schooled but that doesn't mean the work is any easier. One thing I absolutely hate is Geometry. The way I see it is I already know what I'm going to do with my life and it has nothing to do with that dreadful stuff. I still have to learn it though so I can go to college to learn stuff I'm actually going to use in what I want to do. 

     Another example is, I've had to put up with people in the music business that give out empty promises. That has happened several times with me. I will say I have never been one to get my hopes up no matter how promising something might look, but there is always a part of me that has a tiny bit of hope. There are a lot of liars in this business, but luckily I'm working with some amazing people now. I have had my fair share of let downs though.

     Sometimes I hate the fact that it takes so long to get noticed. Getting people to listen to my music isn't always easy. Some of the most amazing artist have had to wait years just to get discovered. I have to remind myself that when I feel like it's never going to happen.

     The point of all this is to show you guys what I do isn't always great. No, this was not meant to depress you haha. Music is what I love though, and I put up with all the bad 'cause I can't change it. In life we will all have amazing things that happen to us and we always need to stay positive, but sometimes it's okay to acknowledge the things we hate. Never forget to be thankful for what you have though. So I'm going to leave you guys with one of my favorite lines from the song,

     "I laugh and I live and I have love to give, but sometimes all you can do is hate." -Passenger

xx Carson 

This is me and my best friend meeting Passenger at the Ed Sheeran concert. He's a really nice guy. Definitely someone I look up to. (left to right, Me, Mike Passenger, and Abbey)

Home is where the studio is.

     Hey guys! Just thought I'd catch you up on what's been going on lately. About a week ago I was in the studio recording two new songs, which I'm SUPER excited about. For anyone who doesn't already know, I love being in the studio. Ever since the first time I was lucky enough to get to record a demo, I've loved everything about it. Not only has so much great music been made in it, but so many amazing artists have worked there for hours at a time to perfect their music. The atmosphere is so laid back. Not to mention I learn something new every time I go there.
     Some of you guys might not know what happens when I go to record, so I'll try to break it down.

Most of the time the full band production is already done, which means just the vocals are left to be recorded. I'm so thankful for the amazing musicians that have played on my songs. The music is normally recorded wherever the session players are ( California, Tennessee, Texas etc.). Every time I go to the studio it's different. It depends on who you're working with. Most of the time we walk in and take a few minutes to catch up with everyone. After that we get down to business. I go into a separate room from the sound board, put on my headphones, and run through the song once so we can get the volumes right, then start to record the real thing.

     Once I've gone through the song about four times I go back to the main room where everyone is. I tend to joke around a little and talk before we are ready to do the vocal comp. I bet some of you guys are wondering what that is exactly. Vocal comp. is when we go through a little section of the song at a time and pick the best parts of the four times I went through the song. It can be quite a tedious job. Some artists leave it up to the producer or engineer to do it, but I can be a perfectionist, and I like getting a say in how I sound in my songs. Once we're done with that, I either go back to the recording room and record the backing vocals, or we're finished. Sometimes it can take hours, or even days. I honestly wouldn't mind having to work in the studio for weeks.

     Like I said I learn new things every time I go to the studio. Sometimes it's musical stuff and others it's stuff about me I never knew. For example, this past week I've learned that I love the technical side of music. Yes, it can be a pain when you have to go through every little detail of a song, or you might be editing something and the computer decides it doesn't want to work, but I could see myself working on that side of music one day. Maybe a producer, or audio engineer? I don't know, but it definitely makes me think. I know right, that sounds scary! Haha. I guess everyone learns new things about themselves every day.
     I know I'm probably leaving a few things out on what happens at the studio, but like I said I'm still learning. Plus I think I'm lucky if you guys are still awake after reading this. I hope I'm not too boring and y'all enjoyed reading it. I'd like to quickly thank everyone who helped with my songs! They sound amazing, and I can't wait for everyone to hear them. Keep your eyes out! I'll hopefully post something again soon.

xx Carson

For Starters...

     Hey guys, I'm Carson Hill. In case you didn't already realize this, I'm starting a blog. For anyone who may be reading this and doesn't know who I am, here's a few things you should know about me. I'm a singer/songwriter. I've been writing, performing, and playing guitar for about three years now. I'm fourteen and live in a small town in North Carolina. Yes, I am a Tarheel fan haha. I've been told I talk really fast, and loud when I get excited. I love to laugh, most of the time it's at myself. I love making other people laugh too. I think you shouldn't take life too seriously, so live in the moment. I'm a perfectionist especially when it comes to my music. Music is my life, and the reason I'm starting this blog. So if you want to hear about what's going on with my music this is the place to come. Another place where you can find out more about me is my website .http://www.carsonhillmusic.com/.
     I'm currently performing a lot of different places, and trying to get as many people as I can to hear my music. It's harder than it seems. I'm very thankful for anyone who has shared my music and supported me. Without them I would just be crazy girl singing to no one.
     People are always asking me who my musical influences are and my answer is always "What Genre?".
I love all kinds of music. I'm really into 70's and 80's stuff like The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, REO Speedwagon, John Melon Camp, Def Leppard, Stevie Nicks, and Steve Miller Band. I also love swing music, and stuff from the 50's and 60's. Frank Sinatra stole my heart. I wish I could go back in time and hear him live. So like I said, I listen to all types of stuff. Personally I think my Genre is Singer/songwriter. I've always said that's the genre for artists who don't really fit in a genre. Garth Brooks is my hero when it comes to entertaining. He's also one of the reasons why I love country.
     I feel like music brings everyone together. It doesn't matter what race, language, or country you live in, music is always the same. If I can write a song that gives one person hope, or makes them feel less alone my life is complete.
     So basically this is the start of many posts. Hopefully the rest will be a little bit more interesting. As a reward for reading through I will leave you with a silly picture of me. Thanks for reading!

-Carson