Pandora!

Big news! As of today, I am officially on Pandora!!
I'll admit...  I now have a "Lex Lyon" station..  but hey! It's awesome what they've paired me with! It's all this obscure indie stuff and I LOVE IT!! I'm hearing so much new music and it's all because of this bomb stuff the big-wig music genome Pandora panel people have declared people who like my music will also like. And I sure hope I attract the kind of kids that listen to this stuff. I'm..  I'm honestly flattered. I feel legit..  for real. Yeah being on iTunes is pretty sweet, but anyone and their mom can get on there. But PANDORA? ARE YOU SERIOUS??? haha They have to LIKE you for that stuff!! It's exciting and I'm excited  if you couldn't tell.  :]
Well..  I'm off to do laundry and try to write a song while my clothes spin around and my quarters get eaten up.
Love you all! Thank you for all the support!!
Love,
Lexi

First Week in Provo

So as some of you may know, I transfered schools.  Yes, Belmont was awesome and yes, I know, Nashville's amazing as well.  But I'm glad I transfered here!  I've had a pretty sweet week!  But before I get into that, let me explain my logic in coming here.
During my first semester at Belmont, I had it in my head that I was going to transfer to BYU after I tried Nashville out for a year.  I was homesick, I was depressed and somewhat friendless and I think I was just sick of being stuck in that gross little dorm.  And in this fairly desperate state, I reapplied to BYU.  Then, of course, when it didn't really matter, I made some amazing friends.  So towards the end of that last semester, I had a minor panic attack, didn't want to be the new girl again, and decided to register for classes at Belmont and stay put.  My mind was made up; I was going to stay at Belmont and finish my Songwriting degree.  haha Well!  Psyche!  Half way through the summer I started having doubts.  Again.  Lovely.  So I decided that I needed to figure this out once and for all.  And what do I turn to?  Lists!

Pros of BYU
- cheaper
- closer to home
- the Graphic Design program is awesome
- more LDS kids my age
- the indie music scene is awesome there
- two good music venues right down the street
- can drive home
- don't have to be in the dorms another year
- smaller "pond"
- songwriting may actually seem special there
- not just another girl with a guitar
- oh and Emily Butler would visit :)

Cons of BYU
- not a lot of artists tour through Utah
- less connections to music industry
- wife-seeking return missionaries

Pros of Belmont
- music industry
- awesome major
- I'm in love with Nashville
- wouldn't have to move my junk again

Cons of Belmont
- far away
- have to fly a lot
- way expensive
- not super practical
- small fish in a big pond
- I disappear

So that was my list! Logically...  both schools kind of made sense.  But BYU seemed to stand out.  The biggest thing with Nashville, obviously, was the fact that no one seemed to care or notice that I had a passion and I was dying to share it with everyone,  but so was everyone else.  Yeah, it was cool that I was an actual Songwriting major (most were music business majors), but in Nashville everyone and their mom writes songs.  So I guess it felt a bit suffocating as aposed to nurturing.
But then the worry with Provo is that I had no idea if there even was a place for me!  Is there a good music scene?  I don't know!  So I asked my songwriting friend, Brady, who hed been to school there about the music and he swore by it.  He claimed it had one of the best, most creative indie music scene he had ever seen.  So that was comforting.
But, being me, I was still torn.  I had two good options- that's probably when deciding is hardest.
But I decided to take the plunge.
According to my History of Creativity class, creativity is at it's peak when you are constantly adopting new ideas from a changing environment.  So maybe that's why I'm here.  To get a new boost of creativity.  I definitely saw a rise and maturation of creativity in Songwriting during my year in Nashville.  So that makes me excited for this new experience!  I'm ready for what Provo has to offer me!
And guess what?  With that attitude, I've already played my first gig here!  I've been here all of 10 days!
So last Thursday I was wandering the halls of the maze that is BYU when my mom spotted a poster for a student acoustic night.  So I turned in a demo CD for them to consider putting me in the program.  The next Monday I got an e-mail from Student Activities saying they loved my music and asking if I could come in and live audition for the big end-of-welcome-week carnival that Friday.  I said sure and ran in there Wednesday morning.  I played No Regrets and Love Can Last and apparently they really dug it because they gave me the third half hour slot.  Second to last!  That's a big deal.  That means I'm practically the headliner haha
But the gig was a success!  There were probably 200 students there wandering the fair and about 70 sitting and just listening.  I couldn't sell CDs so I brought 10 for promo.  And after I performed, I was mobbed and ended up running out of CDs!  It was great!  I really seemed to connect to people.  It made my whole stressful first week back at school better.

I love performing!!
I love my job :]
And it's all because of the people listening.  Thank you to anyone who reads this :]
Love,
Lexi

BYU Carnival

Ok. So tonight I have my first ever gig in Provo, Utah. And it's at this huge end-of-welcome-week BYU carnival thing. And.. I'm nervous. Usually I'm not too nervous before a gig. But I don't know anything about this one! I don't know if there will be 40 or 4000 people there watching! I've been thinking about my setlist and practicing and worrying all day. It's the first impression most people here are going to ever have of me. As their class mate! I just hope I don't mess up...

Wish me luck!

Love,

Lexi