Question 1

crammin’ crepes with cathi at the cock-a-doodle café

Accepted Answer

words and music by jennifer lee sevison

me and cathi, we like to eat, or shall i say dine?
and across the bay, we know fine cuisine abounds
but when we’re hungry, there’s just one thing we both have in mind
and only here in oakland, can this rare treat be found
let me tell ya’ ‘bout it . . .

there’s a place we like to meet
it’s not far, just down the street
an oaktown classic to be sure
with a menu that will certainly begin to stir

up an appetite the moment you step in
and get a whiff of their waffles and chicken
but cathi knows what she likes the best
she says their crepes put all else to the test

so that’s what we always get
hasn’t disappointed us yet
on sunday mornings we don’t go to church
we devour some crepes at our favorite perch

the cock-a-doodle café, the cock-a-doodle café
i'm crammin’ crepes with cathi at the cock-a-doodle café
the cock-a-doodle café, the cock-a-doodle café
i'm crammin’ crepes with cathi at the cock-a-doodle café

i'm crammin’ crepes with my friend cathi at the cock-a-doodle
right here in oaktown
the cock-a-doodle
it’ll up-side-down your frown
the cock-a-doodle
the cock-a-doodle café

© 2016 muitapaz music ~ all rights reserved
 
• • • • •
 
This song is a tribute to my friend Cathi Walkup. Cathi was an extraordinarily skillful and prolific songwriter who was eoncouraging of my composing and songwriting endeavors long before I ever felt I had talent in this arena.  She was a beautiful inspiration to me in so many ways.  And she was a great friend.  
 
The Cock-a-Doodle Café was a place Cathi and I frequently met for brunch.  It was our place.  When Cathi left planet earth in February of 2018 (far too young, far too soon), it occurred to me that "Cock-a-Doddle Café" has the kind of alliteration Cathi loved, and I wondered why she had never written a song about it.  In that very moment, the title of this song popped into my head, and the song itself came shortly after.  
 
It was a fun ride, the writing of this song, and I could swear that Cathi was right there beside me as I wove harmony, melody and lyrics together, and "Crammin' Crepes with Cathi at the Cock-a-Doodle Café" emerged.

Question 2

dreams of a life

Accepted Answer

words and music by jennifer lee sevison
 
something inside tells me that you might
just be the one i have met
in my dreams of a life full of adventure
a life without any regret
 
come take my hand as we trip the light fantastic
then we’ll see just how fantastique such a light can be
 
we’ll play hide and seek with our own shadows
maybe we’ll ditch them at last
then we’ll look to the light, luminous moonglow high above
when it speaks of love
we’ll know our fate’s been cast
 
into our lovely psychedelic odyssey we tango
pretty pink flamingos take the side show
whirling like a dervish sipping pineapple and mango
shifting shapes and rainbows
 
come take my hand as we trip the light fantastic
then we’ll see just how fantastique such a light can be
 
we’ll play hide and seek with our own shadows
maybe we’ll ditch them at last
then we’ll look to the light, luminous moonglow high above
when it speaks of love
we’ll know our fate’s been cast
 
galaxies aglow with golden glittering agape
luscious love and ladybugs that fly gaze
upon a million fairies who illuminate the byways
such mystique, it’s fantastique, we’ll dream this life forever
yeah!
 
© 2015 muitapaz music ~ all rights reserved
 
• • • • •
 
I wrote the music for this song in 2010.  At that point, I envisioned it as an instrumental. I was hearing a big band arrangement in my head.  I had no intention of adding a lyric.
 
The song somehow got lost in the shuffle of my chaotic life, and I completely forgot about it until 2016, when I came across the chart I’d written with the working title of “new song”.  I played it, was happy to discover that I kinda liked it, and decided that I’d try to give it a lyric after all.
 
I noodled around to see what words the melodic phrases might suggest.  A lyric started to come, but it was a little wacky.  I was tempted to question it.  But I (mostly) know better.  When the muse offers you a gift, you don’t ask questions. You take dictation.  So I continued to let it flow, and it just got wackier and wackier.
 
I fingally recognized it as an acid trip.  Then it all made sense.  That realization allowed me to let go of my self-consciousness around the lyric and dive into it with abandon.

Question 3

farewell to comfort

Accepted Answer

words and music by jennifer lee sevison
 
she tells me there are big things coming, coming my way
she tells me that tomorrow won’t be just another day
well I think it may be what I’m aiming for
but must I leave this all behind?

comfort is another word for the rut that I’ve been stuck in
but this comfort is a thing I’ve only just now found in my own skin
it’s tempting to hang out here for a while
but I must leave this all behind

I’ve made my world so tiny and I don’t know who I’ll be
without this safe, familiar ground beneath my feet . . . . we’ll see
yeah, yeah, we’ll see

fear’s been my companion for as long as I remember
but comfort and complacency are the things that truly render me
half alive and sleeping at the wheel
so I must leave this all behind

I know the gift of life is not a thing to take for granted
and I know that I am blessed to have a life that’s been enchanted
by the guidance of an angel, and she’s urging me
to leave this all behind

I’ve made my world so tiny and I don’t know who I’ll be
without this safe, familiar ground beneath my feet . . . . we’ll see

help me angel, help me to be brave
to venture out beyond this comfy, cozy little cave
to step into eternity
to be the one I’m meant to be
to listen to life’s call and to and obey
come what may, and I will make my way

won’t you help me angel, help me to be brave
to venture out beyond this comfy, cozy little cave
to step into eternity
to be the one I’m meant to be
to listen to life’s call and to and obey
seize the day, and I will make my way

she tells me there are big things coming, coming my way
she tells me that tomorrow won’t be just another day
I know it’s just what I’ve been aiming for
so I will leave this all behind

seems the time has come for me to bid a fond farewell
to the comfort of this cradle, life’s been sweet here, yes, but I can tell
a sweeter life awaits me if I dare
to simply leave this all behind

The world is not so tiny and I’ll find out who I’ll be
with new and unfamiliar ground beneath my feet . . . . I’m free, I’m free

© 2017 muitapaz music ~ all rights reserved
 
• • • • •
 
I wrote this song in 2017.  Wasn’t sure at that point why I was writing such a thing, as my lyrics had always been about personal experience, and my life was very stable and unchanging at the time.  But the inspiration for this one was incredibly strong.  It just came pouring out of me.  Turns out it was a premonition.

In 2019 it came true in ways I never could have imagined, and the major life changes just kept on coming — all turning points where I had to choose between clinging to something safe or stepping out into the unknown.

I ended an eight-year relationship; I met the man who is now my husband; I taught myself some video-editing skills during the pandemic lockdown – when, like everyone else, all my gigs had been cancelled – and making wacky music videos became a significant creative outlet for me; George and I got married in 2022, and I sold my beloved Oakland home of twenty-one years — a place that I’d previously been certain I would never leave; we moved to Idaho (what the . . . ? ? ? ); in February of 2024, we met an amazing publisher/documentary film maker which led to me illustrating a silly little poem I’d written a few years earlier (just having fun playing with words, no grand vision when I wrote it) and releasing my first children’s book Relativity in December of 2024 (two more are now in the works); this connection also led to me writing music for a documentary film; and now I’m writing songs for my children’s books as well.

It’s been and continues to be an incredibly exhilarating ride.  So excited to see what happens next!

Question 4

go in peace

Accepted Answer

words and music by jennifer lee sevison
 
there are three kinds of business, only one’s for me to mind
and that would be my very own, so although you robbed me blind
it’s not mine to judge your ways as evil, wrong or bad
i must find forgiveness in heart and remember that you’ve had
a journey you have walked alone, i haven’t shared your path
your moccasins don’t fit my feet so I’ll spare you my wrath
 
go in peace
i wish you well
and rest assured
forgiveness has no tales to tell
 
there are three kinds of business, only one’s for me to tend to
so hurt me, baby, hurt me bad, still it’s only love i'll send you
resentment doesn’t feel real good, so conclusions are forgone
that i'll perceive you with my heart ‘cause i know that you’ve been on
a journey that you’ve walked alone, so although you did betray
my trust, i'll turn the othe cheek and simply walk away
 
go in peace
i wish you well
and rest assured
forgiveness has no tales to tell
 
when you let your heart become the lens through which you view
you will rise above your pain, and transformation will ensue
an alchemy that lets your seeming woundedness unfold
not just a silver lining, but a blessing of pure gold
 
there are three kinds of business, only one’s for me to tend to
so hurt me, baby, hurt me bad, still it’s only love i'll send you
resentment doesn’t feel real good, so conclusions are forgone
that i'll perceive you as we part
through eyes of love and with my heart
i'll wish you well and from the start
i will walk in peace
 
© 2014 muitapaz music ~ all rights reserved
 
• • • • • 
 
I heard a little minor chord vamp on a cool Brazilian pop tune that was really groovin’, and decided I’d try to write a song that began with a similar kind of vamp.  Of course, when I got into it, it morphed into something entirely different that bears no resemblance whatsoever to the original musical inspiration.  But that was how the musical side of this song began. 
 
The lyrical content was the result of a yucky circumstance in my life.  A circumstance in which . . . well . . . . someone done me wrong!  I was filled with rage and self-righteous anger – the kind of anger that’s like eating rat poison and hoping the other person will die.  It was doing me no good.  Nor was it teaching the object of my rage a lesson.  I knew, intellectually, that my business was only to manage my own response.  But it was very hard to get there on an emotional level.  Writing the lyric for this song was part of my healing process.  
 
This lyric depicts a version of myself that I aspire to -- not one that I manage to embody in every moment.  Now and ever more, I'm a work on progress.

Question 5

hallelujah to love

Accepted Answer

words and music by jennifer lee sevison

when brilliant leaves of red and gold have come and gone away
and for a while the winter’s bitter cold is here to stay
our hearts are warmed from deep within by all the love we share
with friends and family near and far for whom we hold this prayer

may your holidays be warm and wonderful, may your sprits shine
with the light of love and true compassion for all of humankind
let us celebrate our shared humanity as the winter solstice draws near
let us gather together to sing hallelujah with voices sweet and clear

hallelujah to love, hallelujah to the light
hallelujah to kindness and to all that is good and right
hallelujah and hooray for that bright and blessed day
when in each waking moment we’re choosing to live life this way

It’s a vision of the world at peace, a world where love prevails
and the spirit of this season proves it’s not just a quaint fairytale
so of the gifts we give this sacred holiday
may compassion and tenderness be
what we share with all others, our sisters and brothers
and our love will set the world free
hallelujah to love

hallelujah to love, hallelujah to the light
hallelujah to kindness and to all that is good and right
hallelujah and hooray for that bright and blessed day
when in each waking moment we’re choosing to live this way

It’s a vision of the world at peace, a world where love prevails
and the spirit of this season proves it’s not just a quaint fairytale
so of the gifts we give this sacred holiday
may compassion and tenderness be
what we share with all others, our sisters and brothers
and through our hearts we’ll see
when we uplift one another, each sister and brother
our love will set the world free
joy to the world

© 2018 muitapaz music ~ all rights reserved
 
• • • • •
 
This is the first and only (so far) holiday song that I’ve written.  I wanted it to feel joyful, and at the same time, I wanted it to address the terrible division that characterizes our culture and the world in recent times.  The beginning lyric of the final A section is a brief description of the song as a whole: “It’s a vision of the world at peace, a world where love prevails…”  And from the first A section, an idea of what might move us in that direction: “Let us celebrate our shared humanity”.  I hope that this song will encourage people to do just that.

Here's a link to the official music video for Hallelujah to Love.

Question 6

hold on

Accepted Answer

words and music by jennifer lee sevison
 
you look so angry
but I know that you’re just trying so hard not to cry
your body’s shaking,
you’re little fists are balled up tight as knots nobody could untie
just hold on, hold on,
there will come a day, when you will find your way, hold on

I know you’re lonely
believing God’s forsaken you in this life, your tender heart betrayed
but you’ll discover within
a strength far greater than the fortitude for which you’ve always prayed
so hold on, hold on
the day is oh so near, when you’ll transcend your fear, hold on

one day you’ll be big and strong
and then you’ll know that it’s not wrong
to speak your mind and sing your song
and to be all that you were meant to be
and when that day comes, you’ll know the light
within your soul, and you’ll take flight, you’ll take flight

so just remember
the time will come when you’ll feel safe to let the floodgates open wide
your burning ember
won’t ever be extinguished regardless of how many tears you’ve cried
just hold on, hold on
one day you’re sure to know, that you can let them go, let those teardrops flow

and you’ll cry all the tears for all the little children
all the tears for all the little children
you’ll cry all the tears for all the little children
all the tears for all the little children
you’ll cry, oh, you’re gonna cry
don’t you hush my baby, go ahead and cry
go ahead and cry
open up and let it go, let those teardrops flow
go ahead and cry
 
© 2014 muitapaz music ~ all rights reserved
 
• • • • •
 
Psychedelic journey work is one of the many therapies I’ve tried in my quest to overcome the psychological wounds of childhood trauma.  The seeds of this song were planted in my consciousness in an ayahuasca ceremony back in 2014. I had the experience of uncontrollable and cathartic weeping during which I was given the clear message that I wasn’t just crying for my own pain; I was crying tears for all the little children who’d ever been abused and abandoned, and that these tears were part of a healing process ultimately leading to transcendence.  Following the ceremony, I went directly to my piano, and within a few days, this song had fully come into being.

Question 7

here you are

Accepted Answer

words and music by jennifer lee sevison
 
here you are
peering right into my soul
revealing beauty that I’ve long denied
with your heart
and sparkling eyes of brown and gold
all my wondering and questioning subside

for here you are
a reflection of my light
as I’m reflecting your light back to you
my shining star
you illuminate the night
and unveil a path to this blissful rendezvous
for here you are

how has it come to be
that sitting here right next to me
is a dream my narrow mind could never weave
the reality of you and me
is beyond the wildest fantasy
my thinking might conceive
and yet I must believe

for here you are
and the joyfulness I live
is a millionfold, this love so pure and true
is by far
the gift most sacred one could give
and now I get to share such love with you
for here you are
here you are . . . ah
hear you are, here you are
 
© 2021 muitapaz music ~ all rights reserved
 
• • • • •
 
For some reason, I felt compelled to try to write a song reminiscent of the pop ballads from the 70s.  Not sure if I was even a little bit successful in my attempt, but that inclination is what this song grew out of.  That and, of course, the inspiration provided by my uniquely wonderful connection with my uniquely wonderful husband.  Prior to meeting George, I never could have written a song like this.  I didn’t even believe that a love like this was possible. But the lyric for Here You Are is absolutely true to my experience in my relationship with my beautiful and inspiring husband.  Lucky me!

Question 8

home

Accepted Answer

words and music by jennifer lee sevison
 
jack the cat relaxes, his chin upon his paw
he watches me as i watch him
we sit real still as the light grows dim
and i dissolve into my happiness again
i'm home, i'm home
 
i wander to the window that looks out upon the yard
the morning glory winds its way
along the fence in grand disply
of love and life and beauty that to my heart does convey
i'm home, i'm home
 
tears of gladness till my eyes
the many years of sadness
taught me to be wise enough to realize
 
that i have found my heaven, i've found my paradise
right here is where i sing my song
right here is where my woes be gone
how truly blessed i am to have a place where i belong
i'm home, i'm home
 
© 2009 muitapaz music ~ all rights reserved
 
• • • • •
 
I wrote ththe full lyric for this song before any of the music came. It’s inspired by my house in Oakland – the first place I’ve ever felt truly settled and truly at home – and is an expression of my gratitude for this beautiful, magical place. 
 
After writing numerous versions of the wrong music for this lyric over the course of about six months, I gave up and asked my friend Gerry Grosz, a wonderful and prolific songwriter, if he would give it a shot. As soon as I gave it to Gerry, the right music came through . . . to me, not him. So I had to call Gerry and say, “uh . . . never mind.” 
 
Before recording it, I performed “Home” live for eight or nine years  All the while, fans were asking for a recording of it.  I'm so happy to finally have that to share with them now. Thank you for your patience!

Here's a link to a video of a live performance I did of Home at the Rrazz Room in San Francisco in 2011.

Question 9

i'm the firefly

Accepted Answer

words and music by jennifer lee sevison
 
for so long
i felt like a firefly without any fire
inspiration so eluded me
every night i prayed to feel some burning desire
but there came no answer to my plea
 
deep within
i felt a spark of magic
something that had always been
and something that was meant to be
something unique to me
 
still my heart felt half asleep
and so i prayed harder
hoping to evoke my inner luminosity
all my efforts failed to move my cause any farther
although I prayed in earnest
and with great ferocity
 
then you appeared
reflecting my love back to me
and proving all i feared
was missing had been in me all along
now i sing this song
you appeared
 
reflecting my love back to me
and proving all i feared
was missing had been in me all along
now i am the firefly
glowing bright and flying high
lighting up the evening sky
i'm the firefly
i'm the firefly
i'm the firefly
the firefly, the firefly
 
© 2016 muitapaz music ~ all rights reserved
 
• • • • •
 
In 2016, I was asked to teach a guitar workshop to a group of adult beginners.  I wanted to have something unique to teach them in addition to those simple introductory chords at the bottom of the guitar neck and a basic12-bar blues.  But these were people who'd never picked up a guitar in their lives, so it had to be simple.  
 
In addition to being simple, I wanted it to be something that didn't require a special tuning.  So I noodled around til I found a single shape that sounded great in a viariety of positions with the strings in the traditional E-A-D-G-B-E tuning.  
 
It never occurred to me, as I was preparing my curriculum for this class, that my single-chord-shape song would be worthy of recording.  But once it had fully emerged, I decided that it was, in fact, a song that I'd like to put out in the world.  
 
Most of my songs are far more harmonically complex.  "Firefly" is in a whole other universe, harmonically and stylistically.  But I found that the harmonic simplicity of it made this song the perfect canvas for an intricate tapestry of interweaving background vocals.  Writing those vocal lines was a super fun project.  So there may be more like this one coming.  We'll see!

Question 10

i caught a glimpse of your soul

Accepted Answer

words and music by jennifer lee sevison
 
seemingly a chance encounter when I first beheld
that radiant smile on the face of an angel my heart knew all too well
my heart recognized, but my mind was surprised
and the journey that ensued
was propelled by a shift in the tectonic plates of my life and its amplitude

i never believed in fate or destiny
by chance or sheer luck was the way things seemed to be
but the first time we spoke something in me awoke
and when you looked in my eyes
in a flash I saw through your terrestrial disguise

when you caught my eye, I caught a glimpse of your soul
what a glorious sight with the power to cajole
any fears, any doubts, any warped roundabouts,
that my head might concoct, for my world had been rocked
by that wondrous peek well beyond your physique
when you caught my eye, and I caught a glimpse of your soul

i never conceived of love so deep and strong
such rapture eluded me til you came along
but the moment we met a celestial duet
rang out sweet and crystal clear
as our hearts harmonized on this joyful new frontier

when you caught my eye, I caught a glimpse of your soul
what a glorious sight and a blessing of pure gold
now our hearts beat as one, all the searching is done
reunited at last, what more could I have asked
than that gift of a peek past your gorgeous physique
when you caught my eye, when you caught my eye
when you caught my eye, and I caught a glimpse of your soul
 
© 2019 muitapaz music ~ all rights reserved
 
• • • • •
 
When my husband George and I first met, we each felt an unusually strong connection to the other.  That’s putting it mildly.  It wasn’t just a strong attraction.  It was a feeling that we were old friends — a feeling that we had known one another forever.  Neither of us had experienced anything like this before, and we were not spring chickens when we met.  We both had more than a half-century of life under our belts.  It was truly remarkable.

There’s a longer story around this that involves a metaphysical experience of sorts.  For now, I’ll stick with the Cliff Notes version.  In any case, this song is a musical/lyrical description of the experience I had when my wonderful husband came into my life.

I posted a video recording of myself performing this song solo on my YouTube channel during the pandemic lockdown.  Here's a link:  I Caught a Glimpse of Your Soul.

Question 11

inchworm rap

Accepted Answer

words and music by jennifer lee sevison
 
inchworm, inchworm
sometimes i feel like a little inchworm
making my way through life
inch by inch
centimeter by centimeter
detail by dizzying, worrisome detail
there’s no love inside those details
they splinter my consciousness
causing anxiety to rise within me like a tidal wave of urgency
i tell my mind, “sit, stay!”
but it won’t be still because it doesn’t remember how to be
the quiet packed its bags and left long ago
one day when i wasn’t looking
but i’m looking now
and i can’t see the marigolds for the inches
i can’t see the forest for the trees
i climbed a tree once
on a beach in monterey
i looked out over the ocean, and it was quiet
i dissolved into that quiet like a hard, crystal cube of sugar
softens and dissolves in hot tea
there was no distinction between that big cup of tea and me
now that’s connection
but inches are separation,
isolation, division, exclusion!
how to tend to the inches without letting the oneness quietly slip away
that is the question
and so i tell my mind, if you will not be still, i will simply sit back
and act as a witness to your turbulence
and, as i witness, the inches become feet
the feet become yards
the yards become miles, and i can see the marigolds!
i can see the calalilies, i can see the sweet-peas and the sunflowers,
i can see the moon-flowers and the star-flowers,
and i can see the brave, irreverent, determined little wildflowers
i witness, with a perpetual sense of wonder, and i ask,
“were we always this beautiful?”
 
© 2003 muitapaz music ~ all rights reserved
 
• • • • •
 
I'd been performing my funkified version of Frank Loesser's "The Inchworm" for a number of years before Peter and I decided to record it.  The vamp was so fun, such a great groove, it felt like the perfect floor for a spoken word piece to dance on.  
 
Once the idea for a spoken word interlude came to me, the words themselves just flowed into my mind.  I love that it gave me the opportunity to expand on the very simple premise that's set forth by Frank Loesser's sweet, whimsical lyric.  A simple premise, but a profound teaching:  Be Here Now!

Question 12

invitation

Accepted Answer

words and music by jennifer lee sevison
 
thoughts of this or that from the future or the past
off the leash, out of control, furious and fast
splintering my consciousness and racing through my mind
i thought that i was seeing, hearing, but i was deaf and blind
 
at last i've found the quiet that lives within my soul
transcending all the madness, i once again feel whole
 
now every blade of grass is calling out my name
and every buzzing bumble bee wants me to join their game
this life was never meant to be a fearful solo flight
we’re part of god and all that is, we’re carrying the light
and i say, “yes!”
 
i invited myself to life
and finally accepted the invitation
i invited myself to life
and finally surrendered to the consecration of
every step i take, every move i make
‘cause every moment’s precious, so you gotta stay awake
 
i am not a victim, although once i thought i was
gradually i learned to listen to that inner buzz,
the voice that is my higher self, the voice of spirit calling
it reassures me that i’m safe, i’ll fly, instead of falling
 
i invited myself to life
and finally accepted the invitation
i invited myself to life
and finally surrendered to the consecration of
every step i take, every move i make
‘cause every moment’s precious, so you gotta stay awake
 
you are not a victim, although once i thought you were
the truth of this is plain to see, i’m sure that you’ll concur
the voice that is my higher self, the voice of spirit calling
it reassures me that you’re safe, you’ll fly, instead of falling
 
i invited myself to life
and finally accepted the invitation
i invited myself to life
and finally surrendered to the consecration of
every step i take, every move i make
‘cause every moment’s precious, so you gotta stay awake
 
© 2013 muitapaz music ~ all rights reserved
 
• • • • •
 
This lyric came together from the inside out. The first line I wrote for it ("I invited myself to life...") was borrowed from a poem/prayer I'd written in 2009 entitled "Perpetual Wonder" which is also the title of an art piece in which I incorporated the words of that poem/prayer: 
 
I invited myself to life and finally accepted
with love and forgiveness, I release the past
I live fully and joyously in the present moment
conscious of my oneness with god and all that is
conscious of the beauty and abundance within me and surrounding me
conscious of the miraculous nature of this life
this one life – infinite and ever-expanding
I invited myself to life and finally accepted
now, I witness, with a perpetual sense of wonder, and I ask . . . 
were we always this beautiful? 
 
Of course, in those last two lines of that poem, I was quoting myself (from the "Inchworm Rap", recorded in 2003 as part of my album Jaywalkin’). And I used the first part of the poem in the chorus of the song "Invitation". I wrote that section of the song – both the music and the lyric – right after I wrote the poem. But it took years for the rest of the song to fall into place. 
 
This is another example of how I use my songwriting to try to remind myself of who and how I want to be in the world.

Question 13

a love that's real

Accepted Answer

words and music by jennifer lee sevison
 
a love that’s real is what i want to feel
and when you put your arms around me
i know for sure that this love of ours will endure
i’m oh so grateful that you found me
 
a love so sweet it knocks me off my feet
and you are always there to catch me
you hold me near, and i see a future bright and clear
a constellation oh so heavenly
 
our love is such an inspiration
it offers a thrilling invitation to transcend
all our fears and limitations and to be
all that we can be
 
a love divine is what i dreamt i'd find
at last i'm open to receiving
this precious gift that’s reflecting an internal shift
i finally find i'm believing
in love
 
© 2011 muitapaz music ~ all rights reserved
 
• • • • •
 
While many of my songs are about LOVE, very few are about romantic love.  
 
Rather than writing a love song about codependent romantic love, I wanted to write a love song about real love as I experienced it during that chapter of my life.

Whether that means really loving oneself, or simply liking who one shows up as in the context of a given relationship – that’s what this song is about for me.  And it all started with two chords and an ascending arpeggiated bass line

Question 14

little ozzy

Accepted Answer

words and music by jennifer lee sevison
 
little ozzy, who are you going to be?   We just can’t wait to see . . .
all the wonderful things that the miracle of you brings to this world

little ozzy, what are you going to do?  Now all we know is true . . .
is that wonderful perks are quite well in the works
as you’re making your way down to earth where you’ll play,
little girl . . . precious girl

there’s a circle of love that awaits your arrival, little angel of light
all around and above there are whole hearts and minds
filled with joy for your future so bright

little ozzy, how is it we’re so blessed?  we never could have guessed . . .
that a sweet shining star from the heavens afar
would alight in our arms with her pearlescent charms
all unfurled . . . ozzy girl

you’ll be cradled and cared for and loved through and through
by the circle awaiting you here
all our voices will rise up to sing “hallelujah!” the moment that you appear

little ozzy, what are you going to show?  we’re all so eager to know . . .
what delight will arise when we look in your eyes
surely grace will abound for pure joy we have already found
it’s astounding, ozzy girl . . . ozzy girl . . .
how our hearts are all awhirl . . . for our ozzy girl
little ozzy . . . little ozzy . . . little ozzy girl
 
© 2024 muitapaz music ~ all rights reserved
 
• • • • •
 
This song is dedicated to my beautiful niece Darby (about whom I wrote the song Note to My Niece way back in 2003 when she was just a tiny little girl) and her wonderful partner Mike, and to little Ozzy herself.  I felt an immediate connection with Ozzy when Darb and Mike shared their happy news with me six months prior to her birth.  Little Ozzy began singing itself into existence in my consciousness that very evening.  I’m so happy and grateful that I get to share in the joy of the precious miracle that is my great niece, little Ozzy.

Question 15

music of your soul

Accepted Answer

words and music by jennifer lee sevison
 
you must suspect that you have got the goods before you can deny
the voice that tells you to stay small to indemnify your fragile heart
if you refuse to entertain the notion that you might go far
then your existence here upon this earth will always be on par
with the circumscribed
 
the walls you see are a mirage
a prison of your own creation
so look beyond the camouflage
there is light, there is love, you’ll experience a new sensation
the music of your soul
 
you’ve been hedgin’ bets your whole life through
come on down off that fence
when you choose to let your spirit sing
you’ll know true confidence
forget your false pride
and when you start to feel your wings, baby, you will fly
the well of radiance within your soul can not run dry
just let it shine
 
i’m not talkin’ ‘bout a big fat head
you know that hubris is a mask for fear
so put your arrogance to bed
feel your faith, see your light, know you’re love
and you will hear
the music of your soul has wings
so let your spirit fly
 
© 2008 muitapaz music ~ all rights reserved
 
• • • • •
 
A conversation with a fellow musician sparked the idea for this song.  We were talking about our very divergent experiences of performing – me just coming into a place where I was starting to believe in my value as a musician/singer/performer, him feeling that he had to tame his ego that wanted to tell him he was really hot stuff.  I was kinda blown away.  Much as I loved this man – he was a good guy and a good friend – I really felt that he was missing the boat on this one.  True confidence, in my estimation, is something unrelated to arrogance or conceit.  So I wrote a song about it!

Music of Your Soul is one of the first songs that spilled out of me when the floodgates to my songwriting were, by some magical, mystical process, flung wide open.  Prior to 2007, I didn’t think of myself as a songwriter.  I was, and had been for many years, a singer and musician who, every now and again, would write a song.  But I certainly did not identify as a songwriter.  Suddenly it seemed that a relentless muse had attached itself to me, constantly tugging at my sleeve with new ideas, urging me to grab my guitar or sit down at the piano and make something of them.  That might sound annoying, but it’s more exhilarating than anything else, and I’m deeply grateful.

The content of the lyric speaks for itself. But there is an interesting parallel between this lyric and what I was experiencing at that time in my life – a rebirth of sorts, as I had recently left a marriage that was not the right context for my life and was moving toward greater self-actualization, all following a profound spiritual epiphany I experienced on Easter Day in 2006.  Maybe one day I’ll write more about the specifics of that.  For now, I’ll keep it a bit cryptic and just say, “What a gift!” And “Thank you, God!”

Question 16

note to my niece

Accepted Answer

words and music by jennifer lee sevison
 
the blue skies and the sunshine are inviting me to play
come out into the world and bask in nature’s sweet display
but the beauty is eluding me, my vision’s all askew
because, dear little angel, my heart is missing you
 
now they tell me
you have learned to wave goodbye
say hello, hello
now they tell me you are learning to play ball
you can’t catch, but you sure can throw
 
little darby, i'm missing it all
whenever i call
they tell me you’re taller
don’t grow so fast
 
now they tell me you
you are learning how to share
your favorite doll, your teddybear
oh, how i wish that i were there
please, don’t grow so fast
 
in my mailbox, photographs of you appear
your little face, so sweet and so dear
your first birthday, celebrated with a cake
and icing smeared from ear to ear
 
little darby, i'm missing it all
whenever i call
they tell me you’re taller
don’t grow so fast
 
now they tell me
you dressed up for halloween
an m-n-m, you were green
oh, how i wish that i had seen
please, don’t grow so fast
 
© 2005 muitapaz music ~ all rights reserved
• • • • •
 
In October of 1994, my precious niece Darby was born.  I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area, and she was 500 miles south of me in Encinitas, California.  I didn’t get to see her nearly enough, and that made me sad.  I wasn’t much of a songwriter at the time.  So I suppose we could say that self-pity was sufficiently inspiring to get me to eek something out.  Self-pity and the loveliness of my little niece who has grown into amazing young woman, beautiful in so many more ways than one.

Question 17

perfect rendezvous

Accepted Answer

words and music by jennifer lee sevison
 
hey, hey, miss j - what’s up, butter cup?
i can hear a song coming on - me too! i think it’s a blues
whatever you choose - i'm happy as a clam just as long
as we’re doing it together - we just can’t get it wrong
 
everyone who knows us thinks we’re an unlikely pair
she likes michael jackson and i like fred astaire
yeah, fred’s pretty hip, bug michael, he’s a trip
still none of that matters at all
‘cause when we play together, we just have a ball
 
(not that we don’t have our little moments, of course)
 
he wakes up each morning ‘bout half past dawn
i'm deep in meditation and he turns the tv on
but i don’t care, no i don’t care, because i dig him, yes i do
every time that we’re together it’s a perfect rendezvous
 
(so what do you have to say, carey?)
 
the bases are loaded, the catcher waves his mitt
she asks mes a question, and i miss the winning hit
but i don’t care, no i don’t care, because i dig her, yes i do
every time that we’re together it’s a perfect rendezvous
 
i like to lick my ice cream cone, but him, he likes to bit
when she’s about to flee the scene, i'm all pumped up to fight
i read eckhart tolle, he’d rather watch the news
but just because we’re different doesn’t mean we’ve got the blues
because i dig her - i dig him - s/he’s the one i choose
 
(we’re having a real good time)
 
i'm the yin to his yang, she’s the sweet to my tough
he’s the voice of caution when i'm about to give to much
we compliment each other, so although we’re not alike
we’re a fabulous team it’s true
every time that we’re together it’s a perfect rendezvous
 
hey, hey, miss j - what’s up, butter cup?
i think our song is coming to a close
we touched these folks with our sweet story - some tears of joy were shed
i swear that i heard someone blow their nose
we’re so good together - don’t let looks deceive
we’re truly birds of a feather - yes, indeed
every time that we’re together, it’s a perfect rendezvous, oh, yeah
every time that we’re together, it’s a perfect rendezvous
 
© 2012 muitapaz music ~ all rights reserved

• • • • •
 
I was with my friend Lory when her boyfriend called, and she answered her phone with the phrase “What’s up, Buttercup?” That sparked the idea for a song.

My original thought was to create a Seussian tribute to the habit my then partner Carey and I had of making silly nonsense rhymes when we talked to one another in the privacy of our own homes. But pretty quickly, as I started writing, it morphed into an ode to "opposites attract".

The formation of a lyric often feels to me like the current of a river. I have to flow with it, or it can turn into a real struggle. And when I let the idea lead, it always takes me to a better place than the one I’d originally conceived.

Carey and I performed this song live together for about six years, from 2012 to 2018.  It was so much fun, and a true joy to be getting him back out into the spotlight. (He fronted bands in his teens and 20s, then spent 35 years behind the scenes on the road as a tour manager for Taj Mahal and Etta James.) He’s got a fabulous voice. I’m so glad that the world gets to hear it in my recording of Perfect Rendezvous as well as my recording of Song of Happy, both of which can be found on my 2018 album My Shining Hour.

Here's a link to a video of a live performance we did of Perfect Rendezvous at the Sound Room in Oakland in 2014.

Question 18

serendipity

Accepted Answer

words and music by jennifer lee sevison
 
who knows where we’re going
we move without knowing
trust in life and be joyful
sharing this journey with each other
serendipity abounds
and astounds

those who live open hearted
our paths are uncharted
we surrender in faith and in love
with the certainty of only this
that life is good and spirit’s with us always

when perceived through the eyes of love
every bump in the road is a blessing
a chance to heal our hearts
to reawaken from the dream of fear into
the miracle of life

what forces conspire
we need not enquire
just be grateful to breath
and greet every morning
rain or shine each new day is another chance
to choose to live and to love

when perceived through the eyes of love
every bump in the road is a blessing
a chance to heal our hearts
to reawaken from the dream of fear into
the miracle of life

what forces conspire
we need not enquire
just be grateful to breath
and greet each and every morning
rain or shine each new day is another chance
to choose
it’s a chance to choose
it’s a chance to chose to love
to love, to love
 
© 2010 muitapaz music ~ all rights reserved

• • • • •
 
This is the only song that’s ever come to me in a whistle.  I remember the evening when the melody started evolving into being in my consciousness, and for whatever reason, I started to whistle. I’m not a whistler.  But I started to whistle.  Go figure!

As the lyric for Serendipity makes clear, I believe in a higher power.  And I believe that our experience of life is profoundly impacted by how we choose to perceive things — is my cup half full or half empty? . . . am I willing to trust that something good can come out of something that might look and feel very bad in the moment? . . . do I feel actively grateful for things easily taken for granted?

I learned a long time ago that belief in my own victimhood did not serve me (this is expressed quite directly in my song Invitation from my 2018 release My Shining Hour) and that choosing a positive outlook always does serve me as well as those around me.  So I try every day to do just that.  Sometimes I fail miserably, but I always try.  So I guess this song is kind of a pep talk to myself.

Question 19

song of sandra

Accepted Answer

words and music by jennifer lee sevison
 
precious yet wise, gentle yet strong
graceful and gracious and good
that’s sandra
so softly she stood
 
lovely without, loving within
she brought him peace from the start
she tamed a wild man
exposed his tender heart
 
goddess carioca
sweet as the song
love was all they spoke of
how could things go so wrong?
 
we can’t know why they come and go
angels enchanting as she
from heaven, they can’t heed our call
still we all love sandra
but bootza loves her most of all
 
© 2016 muitapaz music ~ all rights reserved
• • • • •
 
My dear friend and musical colleague, the wonderful bass player Buca (pronounced Bootza) Necak, returned from Brazil in 2005 with an angel named Sandra Conde who soon became his wife. 
 
This song is a tribute to Sandra and the beautiful love affair she and Buca shared prior to her tragic and premature death in 2009. Buca was shattered by the loss of Sandra. It was heartbreaking on so many levels. 
 
I wrote the music for this song in the weeks after Sandra’s passing. I knew the song was about her, but the only solid lyric that came to me at that point was “Still we all love Sandra, but Buca loves her most of all.” The rest of the lyric came some years later. 
 
It wasn’t until 2015 or 2016 that I finally played the song for Buca. Until then, it had felt somehow like a violation of something too precious and personal. Finally, it felt like the right time to share it with him, and now we’ve recorded it together. 
 
Muita obrigada e um milhão de beijos para você, linda Sandra. Que saudades de você.

Question 20

speak your love

Accepted Answer

words and music by jennifer lee sevison
 
speak your love to me in the wind that blows my heart wide open
yours is not a love that sheltered hearts can ever see
in the vast and empty landscape of my longing
prescient dreams were spoken and my spirit was set free
 
you speak your love through the silence that descends
in the absence of the radiator’s hiss
the stillness is your embrace
with my heart open once again, the love you speak is love that i can’t miss
 
you speak your love in fertile soil beneath my feet
from which unfurls the fresh new life of spring
opening to the light, at last a blossoming so sweet
the love you speak empowers me to sing
 
i sing our love
an anthem to its grace
a hallelujah to the fact that neither time nor space
can make me feel a world apart from you
now that i can hear the love you speak
and now i know it’s true
 
you speak your love as winter’s tiny twinkling lights
that reflect a heaven in my memory
i feel your presence now in stars obscured by city lights
though veiled from sight, they speak your love to me
 
I can’t see them, but i know that they
inspire me and guide my way
through passages both thick and thin
the gentle ride, the crazy spin
and now i hear their soulful hymn
though veiled from sight
they speak your love to me
speak your love to me
 
© 2015 muitapaz music ~ all rights reserved
• • • • •
 
This song is sacred to me. It came to me in a series of enchanted moments. These moments weren't enchanted because of any special location or activity.  They were enchanted by the presence of Spirit.

My father passed away in 1990 at the age of 51 – far too early, far too young. For many years, I longed to feel his presence.  Even after profound experiences of connection with my grandmother and my uncle in the aftermath of their passing in 2006 and 2013 respectively, a feeling of my father’s presence was utterly and painfully absent.  It was a source of great sadness for me.  Until 2015, that is, when he came to me in a number of ways and made his presence undeniably known to me.  It was (and is) such beautiful gift.

Speak Your Love began as a song about my feeling of connection with the spirit of my deceased father, at long last. But it grew into something much bigger than that – something much bigger than the singular relationship between me and my dad.  I knew, not long into the writing of this song, that it was also, and perhaps more so, about the connection a person can feel with God or whatever infinite intelligence they believe in.  The connection you can feel when you get very quiet and very still.

God is always present.  We just have to stop doing long enough to notice.

Question 21

strange and beautiful

Accepted Answer

words and music by jennifer lee sevison
 
it was the strangest day
at once both blue and grey
and when the rain came down
it came down hard, then there was nothing
till all at once without warning, the sky began to cry again
big, fat, splashy teardrops that betrayed her sad goodbye
and when she felt, in her sorrow,
that she would beg, steal and borrow,
the writing on the wall was plain to see

romantic love is never what we think it’s going to be
until we’ve learned to love ourselves we never will be free
free to love another without strings and ropes attached
those strings and ropes precipitate the striking of the match
that lights the fire that will burn it to the ground
the ground upon which now your love is ashes in a mound

it was the strangest night
at once both dark and light
and when the moon arose,
it filled her heart with such a longing
for what today felt so distant, a vague translucent memory
something that had been and something now she hoped again could be
It seemed that perhaps she might let her vigilance lapse,
leaving space for light within to set her free

it was the strangest hue
at once both grey and blue
and when the sun shone through,
a new day dawned – a new beginning
opening velveteen spaciousness inside her heart
for the one who’d been there with her right from the start
it’s a love that makes possible all other loves
it’s the love of her soul, and it fits like a glove

so a strange day and night led to stranger things yet
a love strange and beautiful, a love that knows no regret

it was the strangest love
strange and beautiful
 
© 2017 muitapaz music ~ all rights reserved

• • • • •
 
I love the memory of bringing this song into being.  It was a mystical experience.  It started with a little throwaway lick I played for one of my piano students when I was teaching her to improvise over the chord changes for Hit the Road, Jack.  It was something I just tossed out there as an example for her. But after the lesson it kept ringing in my head.  I kinda knew that my muse was speaking to me.  (I’ve learned over the years to listen to the whispers of my muse which come in many different forms.)

A few days later, I was driving back home to Oakland from Los Gatos in a wild rainstorm. Super dramatic.  The rain was pounding down on my windshield from these ominous dark clouds.  Every now and then, the rain would stop, and the clouds would open up to a tiny bit of blue sky, and a ray of sunshine would peek through.  Then the grey clouds would cover and the rain would start again, so heavy that I was almost afraid to keep driving, it so obscured my visibility.

That’s when the lyric for my little throwaway lick started forming in my head.  “It was the strangest day, at once both blue and grey . . .”  I had no idea what the song was about, where the lyric was leading me.  It’s almost as if I learned the story behind the lyric as I was writing it, the same way a listener would learn what the lyric is about the first time they hear the song.  Not that I didn’t bump up against some challenging moments when I really had to work at it.  But, big picture, it was a pretty magical flow.  Blissful even.

That’s often what my experience of songwriting is — blissful.  I feel so lucky to get to do what I do.

And I love the way that Anton, John and Vince brought this song to life for me.  It’s exactly as I heard it in my head.  Kinda feels like Anton was channeling Paul Desmond that day in the studio.

Here's a link to a live performance I did of Strange and Beautiful at the California Jazz Conservatory in 2019.

Question 22

summertime in october

Accepted Answer

words and music by jennifer lee sevison
 
a glowing disk, translucent white, illuminates the inky sky
and if i'm still, i feel that you’re near by
you come to me in the balmy nights
of summertime in october
i know you’re here ‘cause i can feel you near
you come to me, i don’t need to see you
i feel you within every breath i take
and the love you bring is gently summoning
my heart to reawaken
 
a dragonfly goes whizzing by each time that you enter my mind
and i'm afloat, no sense of space or time
you come to me in the dry, hot days
of summertime in october
i know you’re here ‘cause i can feel you near
you come to me, i don’t need to see you
you are in every beat of my grieving heart
and the strangest thing is i know you hear me sing
and the love that you impart
soothes my sad and aching heart
it’s summertime in october and you’re here with me again
 
i know that you’re here, i don’t care what they say
‘cause i feel your embrace on a warm autumn day
i know that you are here, it doesn’t matter what they say
‘cause i feel your presence whenever i pray
it’s summertime in october, and you’re here with me again
 
© 2015 muitapaz music ~ all rights reserved
• • • • •
 
This song began as an expression of my mystical experiences in the aftermath of my grandmother and my uncle’s passing. As I got further into the song, it also became an expression of my grief. A little further in, it became clear to me that it wasn’t my grief alone. I felt certain that it was the grief my uncle and aunt experienced when they lost one another, many years prior to his death.
 
The writing process with this song – the lyric and music coming simultaneously – was a beautiful, magical flow. I was alone in my studio with the window shade down, playing and singing in the dark. It all came together over the course of just a few hours.
 
Interestingly, when I debuted the song at the Sound Room in Oakland, my aunt – my aunt who lives in Florida and had never once been to Oakland to visit me – showed up at that concert to surprise me. I had told her nothing about the song. 
 
Coincidence or synchronicity . . . ?

Question 23

superhero

Accepted Answer

words and music by jennifer lee sevison
 
how can it be that you are so very in love with me?
i'm not the kind of girl who makes the super hero hot
no i'm not, no i'm not

but here you are by my side, and now you’re asking me to be your bride
seems it’s not just a dream, but i’m in such a crazy spin
like i have never been before

can it be real? can it be true that I am now betrothed unto
this hercules? oh, pretty please, his love is magic

invoke your superpowers hero
invoke your superpowers here 
oh yeah, invoke your superpowers hero

can it be real? can it be true that i will get to spend my life with you?
the splendor of our blissful love, it’s just like magic

invoke your superpowers hero
invoke your superpowers here 
oh yeah, invoke your superpowers hero

so it has come to be that i’m a lucky little chickadee
flame of this superman, soon i’ll be superhero’s wife
well, what a lovely, lovely life

oh yes, it’s real, oh yes it’s true that i will soon be married to
this superman, yes that’s the plan, our love is magic

i must have superpowers too
oh mighty isis you came through
‘cause i have superpowers too
he’s my superhero, my super-duper hero
come on, invoke your superpowers, hero
our love is magic
 
© 2022 muitapaz music ~ all rights reserved

• • • • •
 
This song and a wacky, over-the-top video that I created for it were wedding gifts for my husband.  Like me, he finds tremendous value in silliness.  So what better way to celebrate our union than a deliberately goofy yet utterly heartfelt musical tribute to my big, strong, kind, loving, supportive, hilarious and hot superhero of a husband?

Question 24

suzanna song

Accepted Answer

words and music by jennifer lee sevison
 
life on planet earth these days is nothing short of mad
the news we hear is troubling . . . it’s bad
one simply can’t help feeling sad
but when i’m overwhelmed and blue there’s on sure remedy
i close my eyes and contemplate suzanna lee

she’s got a smile as sunny as the days she loves the most
and her voice is sweet as honey . . . when she sings the stars align
and listeners are inclined to fall in love with suzanna
with suzanna they fall in love

she’s playful and her wicked sense of humor’s a delight
yeah, I once heard a rumor she drank beer out of her rugby shoe
at a pub on wellesley avenue
oh, suzanna . . . she’s such a ham . . .

around about eight years ago, grown weary of the status quo
she wondered what a wonder it might be
to have a precious baby boy, all full of life and full of joy
she would name him miles nathaniel lee

now suz and miles are best of friends and she works every day
to build a feathered nest for him as we look on in awe 
of what a great mama is suzanna . . . lovely suzanna
oh, suzanna, we love you so

such talent has our suzy-Q – a singer, artist, mother too
how whimsical and wonderful is she
the onion of her life unfolds, each layer lined and trimmed with gold
revealing all her grace, charm and esprit

more radiant with each passing day, suzanna does inspire
a starlight everlasting in celestial realms above
angels can’t help dreaming of our suzanna
dazzling suzanna
oh suzanna . . . oh suzanna . . . oh suzanna . . . oh suzanna . . . oh suzanna
oh suzanna, we love you soThis song is a celebration of my dear friend, singer Suzanna Smith.  
Check out her music.  You won’t be disappointed! 
https://suzannasmith.com/This song is a celebration of my dear friend, singer Suzanna Smith.  
Check out her music.  You won’t be disappointed! 
https://suzannasmith.com/
 
© 2020 muitapaz music ~ all rights reserved

• • • • •
 
This song is a celebration of my dear friend, singer Suzanna Smith.  The voice of her partner,  extraordinary jazz vocalist Kenny Washington (Miles' daddy) is featured in the solo section and in the outro of this arrangement.

Question 25

vivid technicolor love

Accepted Answer

words and music by jennifer lee sevison
 
i've never felt this before, such a vivid technicolor love
awash with pigment galore, it’s a spectrum with the radiance of
a million stars blazing bright to ignite a prismatic delight
a vibrant new frontier for my heart

i've gone from kansas to oz in this vivid technicolor love
a contrast so stark it’s the cause of astonishment and awe
above and beyond any other has spawned, such a sweet liason
and a vibrant new frontier for my heart

the dreams that i dreamt of a love that i longed for are shadows of this new
iridescent and luminous love that i found with its kaleidoscopic view

i'm all aglow with the hues of this vivid technicolor love
bright corals and indigo blues gently guide me to discover
all that can be when there’s you and there’s me sharing life, that’s the key
to this vibrant new frontier for my heart

i've gone from kansas to oz in this vivid technicolor love
a contrast so stark it’s the cause of astonishment and awe
above and beyond any other has spawned, such a sweet liason
and a vibrant new frontier for my heart

the dreams that i dreamt of a love that i longed for are shadows of this new
iridescent and luminous love that i found with its kaleidoscopic view

i'm all aglow with the hues of this vivid technicolor love
bright corals and indigo blues gently guide me to discover
all that can be when there’s you and there’s me sharing life, that’s the key
to this vibrant new frontier 
and it’s you that brought me here
to this vibrant new frontier for my heart, my heart
 
© 2021 muitapaz music ~ all rights reserved

• • • • •
 
I often have some little snippet of an idea come to me at an inopportune moment when I can’t sit with it to see if it develops into something.  In these moments, I use the voice memo app on my phone to record the idea.  That’s how this song started out.

I got the first two phrases — harmony and melody, no lyric — played them into my voice memo, and there they sat for about a decade before I finally bumped into them again while clearing things off my phone.  At that point, my now-husband George had come into my life, providing tremendous emotional inspiration, which, upon hearing this audio clip again, morphed into lyrical inspiration.  The words “I’ve never felt this before, such a vivid technicolor love” came pretty quickly. (I’d always wanted to use the word “technicolor” in a lyric! :-)  And the rest of the song grew from there.  I think I had the entire thing written in about a day and a half.

The horn arrangement on this track is the first one I ever wrote.  Had done lots of arranging in the years prior, but never for horns.  It was a total blast!  Loved creating it, and then having Tripp and Derek bring it to life — exhilarating beyond words!

Question 26

vocalese for my shining hour

Accepted Answer

words and music by jennifer lee sevison
 
the very thought of you makes me sing
and when you come to me in my dreams
i can feel my heart soar up to the heavens
to wing its way through luminous skies
buoyed by wise and eternal love
infusing my soul with its light
that i will shine for you 
bright as the stars above
 
© 2017 muitapaz music ~ all rights reserved

• • • • •
 
My Shining Hour is one of two cover songs on my 2018 album of the same title, and it’s the only Great American Songbook standard in the collection.  Of course, I wanted my recording of this beautiful song (written in 1943) to stand out among the many recordings of it that already exist in the world.  So I created a unique arrangement of it, which Peter took to a whole other level when he wrote the brilliant instrumental interlude you hear on the track.  Peter also suggested that I write a vocalese for the first two A sections of the song. I loved his idea and I did just that.

It turned out to be a magical experience for me, serving as an opportunity to connect with my father who passed away in 1990.  Singing the lyric of the original song always felt like singing to my dad on the other side.  Writing this vocalese gave me the opportunity to further personalize it and to more deeply celebrate the uplifting communion I feel with my father, despite the fact that he’s no longer here with us on planet earth in physical form.

Question 27

warrior, drop your sword

Accepted Answer

words and music by jennifer lee sevison
 
the day that he was born it could not be foreseen
this precious baby boy’d become a warrior and that he would lean
toward strife and a profusion of battles and crusades
perpetual cascades of circumstance appealing to the hero
who’d proclaim “i’ll fight to save the day
i’ll sacrifice my life but never walk away”

his mama always said that goodness would prevail
and through her faith she led a life of love and grace that left a trail
but still there was confusion
he couldn’t see the light through all that wasn’t right
the mountains set before him were as steep as they were high
and angels in disguise convinced him that he’d better fight if he were wise

warrior, warrior, drop your sword
love will be its own reward
battle on and you will find that
one day you’ll have to fight to save your mind
warrior, warrior, you’re not weak
when you turn the other cheek
your true strength is what you’ll find
when you choose to leave your armaments behind
leave them behind

the day he dropped his sword was the day his vision cleared
he wept and thanked the Lord
now seeing everything that he had feared was only an illusion
he’d merely missed the mark believing in the dark
but now the time has come for him to live his joy and turn toward his playful heart
to fashion gifts of gold from all that has been torn apart
all that has been torn apart

warrior, turn toward your playful heart
warrior, turn toward your playful heart
it’s time for you to live your joy, just like the playful little boy
living deep within your heart, he’s been with you from the very start
warrior, turn toward your playful heart
 
© 2019 muitapaz music ~ all rights reserved

• • • • •
 
This song offers a metaphysical view of the extraordinary journey of my extraordinary husband, the first 61 years of his life.  He’s a former NFL player who sustained multiple TBIs leading to nine brain surgeries and a 38-year legal battle with the NFL and the 49ers worker’s comp carrier, the Travelers.

To become a professional football player, he had to have a warrior mentality from a very young age; and starting in his early 20s, he had to be a warrior to fight (for what wound up being almost two thirds of his life) to get the benefits (ie, medical bills paid for) he was owed and to overcome frontal lobe dementia, proving all the doctors with their dire prognoses wrong.

When we met, the time had come for him to drop his sword, look toward the light, and rediscover his beautiful, joyful, playful heart.  He did, and miracles ensued.

This track was my second opportunity to work with Randy Brecker.  I first connected with Randy when I was recording my 2018 album My Shining Hour.  I wanted his beautiful, soulful playing on my song Speak Your Love — a song that has deep meaning for me — and to my great delight, he hopped on board.  Warrior, Drop Your Sword, for obvious reasons, is also deeply meaningful to me, and Randy’s skillful, heartfelt playing is a perfect fit for this song.  I love what he brought to it.  Every fill is utter perfection to my ear, and I’m pretty fussy when it comes to my original compositions.

Question 28

watch out for g-man

Accepted Answer

words and music by jennifer lee sevison
 
g-man can kick like nobody's business
even though he's still only six
he's kung-fu fighting with all of the bad guys
he knows every one of their tricks
and he's stolen my heart
you'd better watch out because when you meet him 
he's gonna steal yours too
 
"hey auntie jenn, will ya' sing me the fruit song?
will you sit next to me in the car?
when we get to granma's i'll show you my back flip
i can throw this ball really far"
yeah, he's stolen my heart
you'd better watch out because when you meet him 
he's gonna steal yours too
 
watch out for mister g-man
wild man's on the loose
watch out fo mister g-man
you'd better all vamoose
'cause he's gonna steal your heart
he's stolen mine, he'll get yours in good time
 
g's got a smile that's brighter than sunshine
and a heart that's big as the sky
his joyful spirit can lighten the darkest 
mood i've got, and i'll tell you why
this kid's stolen my heart
you'd better watch out because when you meet him 
he's gonna steal yours too
 
g-man can kick like nobody's business
even though he's still only six
he's kung-fu fighting with all of the bad guys
he knows every one of their tricks
and he's stolen my heart
you'd better watch out because when you meet him 
he's gonna steal yours too
 
watch out for mister g-man
wild man's on the loose
watch out fo mister g-man
you'd better all vamoose
'cause he's gonna steal your heart
he's stolen mine, he'll get yours in good time, yeah
 
when you meet mr. g-man
i know that you'll concur
charming as any he-man
he owns my heart for sure
so you'd better watch out 
'cause i know he's gonna steal yours too
you'd better watch out because when you meet him 
he's gonna steal yours too
yeah, you'd better watch out because when you meet him
he's gonna steal your heart too
 
© 2008 muitapaz music ~ all rights reserved
• • • • •
 
My nephew Garrett was the most adorable, funny, fun, inspiring little guy when he was six.  Actually, he was all of those things at all ages, and still is (all except for the "little" part).  But it was during his sixth year that I wrote this song for and about him.

Here's a link to a video of a live performance I did of Watch Out for G-Man at the Rrazz Room in San Francisco in 2011

Question 29

we will know love

Accepted Answer

words and music by jennifer lee sevison
 
i have to trust that God will mend
our broken hearts when we transcend
this earthly plain and rise above
our human pain, then we’ll know love

i have to trust we’ll see the light
and childish thoughts of wrong and right
will fade away, illusions of
our mortal minds, then we’ll know love

we will know love, we will know love
we will know love, we will know love

believing that our story ends in jagged, shattered shards
is something that my soul cannot abide
i must imagine peace and love and healing in the cards
that all the tears we’ve cried will soften this divide
and help us recognize that we are one

i have to trust we’ll come to know
a higher truth exists and so
i will hold fast to visions of
unguarded hearts that will know love
unguarded hearts that will know love

we will know love, we will know love
we will know love, we will know love
we will know love, we will know love
we will know love, we will know love
we will know love, we will know love
we will know love, we will know love
we will know love, we will know love
we will know love, we will know love

• • • • •
 
This song started out as an expression of my grief at the deep division between myself and a man with whom I spent eight years of my life when I chose to end the relationship.  I had imagined that we would remain friends.  But that was not to be.  As it was coming into being, however, I realized that We Will Know Love was much bigger than this one relationship.  It’s a song of the times – a song that addresses the deep division that characterizes our world today.  It expresses grief at that division as well as hope for a future in which we will come to a place of love and compassion that transcends pain, anger, hatred and negativity.

Here's a link to the official music video I created for this song in 2024:  We Will Know Love

Question 30

what you see is what you get

Accepted Answer

words and music by jennifer lee sevison
 
CHORUS:
 
choose a happy outlook for today, just today
and you will find that tomorrow
things will begin to go your way
 
for when you put a smile upon your face
you will open up a path to your heart
and love will begin to fill your life with grace
 
what you see is what you get
it’s more than just a phrase
when you choose to see the best
you’re good fortune will amaze you
 
know that your perspective is the key
to an ever-lasting love that can’t really be forsaken
all you have to do is awaken to the love that you are
and that love will set you free
 
VOCALESE:
 
i find that when i count my many blessings each and every day
they’re magnified by a thousand, or a million
but then, who’s counting?
sure ain’t me ‘cause i already feel like a rich man
 
you’ll find me walkin’ on the sunny side of the street today
and tomorrow won’t be any different, no sirree!
‘cept for the fact that you’ll walk beside me, baby
 
i really hope you won’t say maybe
i hold a joyful vision of a life where you and me
know that we’re meant to be deep in love
there i go, there i go, there i go, oh, there i go again
 
dreaming dreams that put a big, fat, happy grin upon this face of mine
oh, don’t you see? it really doesn’t matter if they never come true
i simply choose to think of things that make me feel real good
and often i am chooing to think about you
 
[CHORUS]
…awaken to the love that you are
yeah, love is what you are
love is what you really are, you’re just like a shining star
love’s what you are and that love will set you . . . . free!
 
© 2012 muitapaz music ~ all rights reserved
• • • • •
 
In 2012 I was asked to teach a jazz workshop to a group of fellow piano teachers, most of whom had little or no experience with jazz. It was my job to give them a gentle introduction to a topic that, for many of them, was a bit intimidating. 
 
At some point I used the term “intuitive changes” and was asked to define that expression. Using the example of “A Train” or “Nearness of You” wasn’t going to cut it in this crowd, since they weren’t familiar with what jazz players consider standard repertoire. 
 
In this particular circle, it isn’t acceptable to e-mail a lead sheet for such a song because copyright law is upheld as a sanctity not to be breached in even the most benign way for educational purposes. (It’s a long story.) So I told them I’d write a song for them that would illustrate what I think of as “intuitive changes” and email it to them the next day. 
 
I figured that this would be some little throwaway tune. But once I got into it, it started to grow into a song I liked a little bit. Then a little bit more. Then it started asking for a lyric. Then a lyric started filtering in. So I ended up sending the workshop attendees a full-on song – harmony, melody, lyrics – the whole nine yards. 
 
I began performing “What You See Is What You Get”, and sang it live for a few years before Peter and I worked on an arrangement of it for recording. It was Peter’s idea for me to write a vocalese for it, and I’m so glad he nudged me in that direction. Writing that vocalese was a super fun ride, and I’m really happy with the result. 
 
We based our arrangement’s instrumentation on Kurt Elling’s recording of “I Feel So Smoochie” from his album This Time It’s Love (highly recommended!).

Here's a link to a live performance I did of What You See Is What You Get at the Sound Room in 2014.

Question 31

you knew

Accepted Answer

words and music by jennifer lee sevison
 
every once in a while
i take a walk down memory lane
where i find you are waiting for me
at the peet’s on piedmont avenue
i can’t recall your name
but i know you just the same
and i know that you know me
and we both know you can see
there’s a song inside of me that cannot escape
i used to hope that you would help me set it free
 
now i'm waiting for you
to come and hear me sing that song
each day i go to peet’s
but you’re not there
i still can’t recall your name
but i love you just the same
‘cause you knew that i had a song
to let out of my heart
 
© 2008 muitapaz music ~ all rights reserved
• • • • •
 
The initial inspiration for this song is another song.  Patti Cathcart’s wonderful One for All that she and her husband – together known as the duo Tuck and Patti – recorded in 2002 for their album Chocolate Moment.  I was touched and uplifted by this recording, and I felt inspired to try to write something with a similar vibe.  Of course, as soon as I started in on it, it took on a life of its own, the ultimate result bearing no resemblance to One for All.  But I’ll be forever grateful to Tuck and Patti for all the beautiful music they’ve shared with the world, and quite specifically for One and All and the impetus it provided me.  I don’t think You Knew would exist without it.

As a side note, I want to share with you that I'm very disappointed in my selection of a title for this song.  You Knew is a terrible title!  I'm still not sure what the title should have been.  But not You Knew!  The only excuse I give myself is the fact that I was very green as a songwriter when I wrote this song and chose the title.  I love the song itself.  No regrets in regard to the lyric, melody or harmony.  I'm happy with the arrangement too.  But the title – oy!

Lyrics