The Slithy-Toves
Mood:  cool
Now Playing: Fiona Apple - Extraordinary Machine
Topic: Writing Songs
I'm back from a nice hiatus from (what is now) normal life. Went back to my homeland of Tennessee. Saw family and friends. (Unfortunately, didn't see everybody I wanted to see. Apologies to those I missed. I'll be back again someday, and a lot quicker than that dreamer Frosty the Snowman. He made a lot of promises, but never delivered. No one has ever heard from him again. [I don't even want to hear about the sequel...that was not the real Frosty. He's gone forever.])
Right. So I've been writing feverishly ever since I got back home. I feel like I'm coming out of that slump I was in. That electronic record was just another detour which was preceded by an as-yet unfinished covers album.
I made the electronic/experimental thing (OH YEAH, BTW, it's called Pandemic) as a way to break in my new modular synthesizer which I have talked about plenty previously. Also, I find it easy to create things in that medium with minimal planning or...effort.
But now, I'm serious again. I've decided that I'm living in the musical world where I belong regardless of what the rat race of life tries to throw at me. I'm sick and tired of letting my primary source of income, which is not even remotely related to music, dictate how I feel about spending serious time creating art. Right now I'm sleep-deprived and sore, but it's worth it because I'm really proud of what I'm doing right now. It could be just a phase, but then, what in life is not? There are seasons in all things. And I'm at the start of another good one.
I think I should go now; quit while I'm ahead.

=TOODLES=
=MooTles=

=extra wide egg noodles=

Stone Knives and Bear Skins
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: Doug Carman - Field Recording
Topic: Writing Songs
I was just telling a good friend about something, and the thought struck me that I should share it with everyone.
I used to write a lot of songs whilst sitting and singing at the piano. However, I find this to actually impede my progress now.
I look at songwriting (and perhaps music creation in general) like mining: you find a rich piece of ground and you mine it and mine it and mine it, but that ore is of finite supply, and after a while, it becomes quite barren and the results of mining it further are an excercise in frustration.
That's the piano for me right now. Actually, that goes for any instrument that either sounds amazing or is extremely fun to play. I can't write good songs on my 12-string electric guitar, because it's too much fun to make sounds on it. Ditto the modular synthesizer.
I have written my best compositions, instrumental or vocal, on "limited color palette" instruments. These are usually unplugged electric guitar or my little Yamaha PSS-470, which has 49 small-sized keys, and a very basic overall sound. I don't get distracted and start tinkering endlessly. One can use up valuable inspiration that way, just noodling about. That accounts for my numerous unfinished songs.
Just some thoughts.

MooT BooXLe