Kara/M Perspective on West on 90
Kara/M, the songwriting team of Kara Millerhagen and Stanford Felix, started their collaboration in 2023. Their lyric's positive messages inspire people looking for their authentic path, and their music encourages, uplifts, challenges convention, and energizes the soul. Now, one year later, after composing over 50 original songs, they are ready to release their first LP, "Walk in the Sun".
Both Kara and Stan have extensive musical backgrounds. Both are composers and singers which have worked in many different music genres. This combination gives our songs interesting textures that include country, jazz, classical, pop and rock.
West on 90 is one of 11 country tunes we have included in our debut album, Walk in the Sun, releasing in December 2024.
Kara and Stan have only been collaborting and recording songs since the summer of 2023. We've found two ways to collaborate. Kara writes the lyrics, melody and chords to the song and then Stan arranges all the backing tracks. The other way we work is that Stan writes and arranges an instrumental, then gives that to Kara who writes the lyrics, melody and sings the lead and backup vocals.
Being the best at your craft and helping to add a little light to the world.
Both Kara and Stan's main passion IS music. We're both singers, but play a variety of instruments such as sax, flute, piano, and guitar. Other important passions include the visual arts, spiritual developement, great literature, nature and animals.
Music, painting/drawing, photography, and literature.
You can't count on making money performing and making music. You have to do it for the love of it. It's also great therepy for what ails you.
By living as much in the moment as possible, and being open to new ideas.
Nothing else satisfies the soul as much!
The art should be the goal, not the money.
Completely opposite. Music enriches and fills our lives.
This is a story of a friend of mine who read the signs about her marriage, and chose to save herself. It was such a scandal. She was so brave, and the last I heard, she had oceanfront property in CA. So, let them talk and choose for themselves.
Music, as vibration, connects this world to the next. Music connects us to our spiritual self.
Stan here: Charlie Parker and Luciano Pavarotti.
Great melody, great lyrics, conviction of the players and how well they play. Inspiration!
We try to keep as much in the moment as possible, with no expectations or regrets. Being clear of clutter opens the mind to inspiration.
Our song Barbie Girl, Party Girl about a Barbie Doll, would be a good example of this.
Usually lyrics. You can base the rythmn of the song off how the lyrics read. However, Stan often creates a complete instrumental piece and Kara puts lyrics and a melody over that.
Our song Barbie Girl, Party Girl.
Finding the right hook. Making the piece fun to listen too on the first listening without dumbing the song down too much, where it's too cliche.
Positivity, spirituality, nature, love, mistakes.
Family.
In our song, Look What I've Done, its about having a fight with my husband and not being able to sleep. Thoughts run from A to Z, feelings from regret to stupidity, wrestling with all the justifications for saying or doing what was said or done. Love is hard and mistakes are made. “ “I’m sorry” goes a long way
