VIDEO FEATURE OF THE DAY

Artist: TOM PRASADA-RAO

Song: “Sleeping Beauty”

Website: TomPrasadaRao.com

How did the idea of “Sleeping Beauty” come to you?

I wrote this song for my ex mother-in-law. She found the love of her life later in life, and she transformed from someone who stayed in her bathrobe all day, to someone who closed down the VFW hall every night. It was a beautiful sight to see. But soon after they got married, they got the call we all dread: It was cancer, and he went quickly. Just as sad, was that we lost the woman she had become too—she went back in her robe and slippers. I wanted to tell her in this song that I would never forget who she was—and still is.

What is your creative process for writing songs?
The hard part is turning the faucet on. Creative ideas come to me all the time, but sometimes I ignore them. And if I do—often enough, they get tired of knocking on my door. So the key is the next time I get an idea—to open the door, pay attention to it, give it some love. I know when I do that—my doorbell won’t stop ringing.

What songwriting tip would you like to offer?
Pick up an instrument you don’t know how to play, get a groove going, see what happens. It’s going to be something out of your box and probably way cool.

Top 5 Musicians or Songwriters who inspired you?
Bruce Cockburn, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell, Donny Hathaway

What are your Top 5 favorite albums?
Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway (1972) – Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway
Days of Future Passed (1967) – The Moody Blues
I’m Alive (1993) – Jackson Browne
In Concert: Zurich, October 28, 1979 (1980) – Chick Corea and Gary Burton
Dead Man Walking—The Score (1996) – Featuring the music of David Robbins, Eddie Vedder, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, and Ry Cooder & V.M. Bhatt. Especially the two transcendent long pieces (Track #1, Track #11) by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan & Eddie Vedder. [“The Score, not the Soundtrack.”]