Sun, 10/16/2011 - 15:36
In the interest of keeping the forums alive, a new thread ...
So, we're all creative types. Between now and FAWM, what do you do with that impulse, that urge to do something original and artistic? Do you shut it down and let it hibernate? Do you tackle non-musical projects? Do you keep right on making new music?
I know some folks here do the November novel-writing challenge. I've been tempted to try that one myself. I do have some writing projects I'm excited about. I teach high school journalism and creative writing, so I'm always coming up with new ideas for my students, and then I do the assignments myself first - both the writing and the page design. But that's still work-related - I have to do that for my paycheck.
I have a short story idea brewing, actually based upon one of my 50/90 songs from 2010. I'm going to try a new approach - I'll tell you more about it after I get started. And I'm going to document the writing process itself.
Also, a friend who runs a local arts center asked me to come up with a proposal for a songwriting class geared toward parents. I'll use some of this year's 50/90 songs for that, and I plan on adding a video component to that project as well.
Finally, my wife just got asked to write a textbook proposal - she's also a writing teacher (business writing at the college level). And I'm going to help with that. Considerably less freewheeling than my approach to writing, but interesting nonetheless.
Musically, I've long been looking for someone to get all jam band-y with me, and now a dobro player has come forth! So that should be good fun.
Oh, yeah - we're thinking of home schooling our daughter, and we want to develop a curriculum that encourages creativity considerably more than what she's getting now. I guess that's where the whole idea for this particular thread started.
Enough (probably too much) about me: What keeps your juices flowing between now and FAWM?
Sun, 10/16/2011 - 16:15
#2
Fantastic thread. Thank you Chip.
Well, I've been reworking some songs, keeping collaborating, composing new pieces. Trying to remember pieces which I composed so that I could actually play some of them from memory. I find listening to submissions here and in some other sites very inspiring and keeping me feeling motivated. I'm planning on creating some slideshows/videos to some of my co-written songs and upload them on YouTube. I've been also trying to create piano scores to some of my compositions.
Sun, 10/16/2011 - 17:01
#3
I intend to spruce up, redo, and generally futz with a bunch of my 50/90 songs. That's plenty to keep me busy between now and February. Unless the muse ties me up and puts a burlap sack over my head, I don't expect to do much writing until then.
Sun, 10/16/2011 - 21:21
#4
Oh, d'oh! I guess I already posted this to another thread, but I'm doing sorta like what RC is doing: Going through my new 50/90 songs like a kid with a collection of new marbles, taking them one by one and shining them up. I have a stable of originals that I can perform at the drop of a hat, and I seek to enlarge that stable --- I got five new 50/90 ones polished, memorized, performed at an open mic so far last week. Some work better than others, it's hard to know 'til you try them out. I think another dozen can be picked out, polished, memorized and delivered in the next few weeks. For when people say 'Hey you got any new ones?' Like RC, I don't see much time for new songs before FAWM. Getting the 'worthier' ones I got up to performance level will take up all that time. Musie has been known to hood me with a burlap sack and have her way with me, though.
Sun, 10/16/2011 - 22:11
#5
Nice forum to keep the juices flowing Chip! This may not seem like much of a writing challenge, but over at OEDILF they have been attempting to write a complete dictionary A-Z of all known words - in limerick!
OEDILF = Omnificent English Dictionary In Limerick Form
They are actually a stickler for proper words and proper form, so even though EVERYONE thinks they can write limericks, it actually takes a while to get your limericks polished enough to be accepted. It's very much like a collab, as others are there to pitch in and help. I haven't actively been back on the site for probably a couple years, but it was quite fun. They started at letter A and are currently up to the letter E, with slightly over 70,000 approved limericks.
Just thought that might be a fun challenge for one of your writing classes Chip. Here's the link:
http://www.oedilf.com/db/Lim.php
Mon, 10/17/2011 - 00:48
#6
I'm actually thinking of trying the novel writing thing. I have a few really dumb ideas for plots that could keep me occupied for a while. It might help, because I'm feeling really burnt out on ideas for songs.
Musically...well I really haven't written any songs since August, so I feel like it's kind of time to start doing that again. I've kind of got a band going now so I'd like to get that off the ground, and maybe play some solo songs out at some point although I never seem to actually get around to doing that. I'd still like to put out some kind of cohesive album but I have no idea how to go about that. Between FAWM and 50/90 and in between, I've probably written 40-50 songs this year, but it's hard to even pick 10 that I would want to put out.
Mon, 10/17/2011 - 07:49
#7
I actually wrote a book a couple years ago that's been picked up by an indie e-publisher (super-indie digital ebooks only). It's a fun little humorous murder mystery called 'Drugmoney'. It's in edit right now, but they're hoping to have it out by sometime in November as a budget title (a couple bucks).
I think my next steps will be:
-Make sure 'Drugmoney' sees the light of day
-Finish some of the songs I didn't finish during 50/90
-Complete track list for 50/90 mixtape
-Complete the next Really Good Pot Roast album (an EP of electronica rock tracks)
-Start outlining next book
-Prep for FAWM (My first one!)
Mon, 10/17/2011 - 09:40
#8
Good thread Ship.
To kinda' combine two formats--Novels are beyond me-- I don't have that kine of an attention span, but, I think I could easily weave a short story abound a few of my lyrics or songs--Wild Fiddle comes to mind, or I subscribed to New Scientist Mag online, which stuff I have an abiding interest in, especially parallel universes and quantum jumping-all very intriguing and creative type stuff for me at least.
When I get caught up from the things I let slide during 50/90, I will investigate
Mon, 10/17/2011 - 13:40
#9
Checked out the limerick website oneslowtyper suggested. Glad I did, and I may share with my students. The limericks were more advanced than I thought they would be!
Making the leap from songwriting to writing more stories, essays, articles, etc. is going to be tough for me. I don't labor over the words too much when songwriting, but I am a tough self-editor with my stories. (In fact, it takes me a considerable amount of time to think about my posts here and then get the words out just right.)
Mon, 10/17/2011 - 20:47
#10
I'm just a giant music geek. I'm collabing on some very exciting stuff. And this year, I'm actually trying to play some of these FAWM and 50/90 songs for real, live people. That's a big step for me, because outside a gig I did last month, I haven't played for a group of living, breathing humans, otherwise known as an audience, in about 8 years. The band I joined in April was just about ready to start booking some gigs when the guitarist up and quit. I'm not sure they realize how long it's actually been since I fronted a band. Oh well, they didn't know how old I was until very recently either. 
Anyway, I will be getting together with them if we ever get a guitar player.
I guess some of y'all will be doing NaNoWriMo, the novel writing thing in November. It's not my cup o tea, but I think it's awfully cool that people actually do this. I wish I were more into other types of writing, but my muse is strictly a songwriting diva.
Mon, 10/17/2011 - 23:31
#11
Hey Chip, here's an idea for your students who want to try their hand at writing scripts. Take a well known or submitted poem and expand it into a screenplay for a movie. To give you an example, I wrote a poem that reminded me of the movie "Hocus Pocus", and wondered how many times a "big movie" got it's start from something much simpler, like a poem or even just a simple phrase. Anyway, here is the poem:
Cupid's Delight
I mix my potion in a dead man's boot
Now all I need is some Eye of Newt.
It was on my list to buy yesterday
with bat-wing broth and brain fillet.
I bought snarl of lion and owl hoot,
some jackal ribs and candle-root.
Every ingredient to make Cupid's Delight,
except for that one minor oversight.
But when making this cake, there is no substitute
for those 20-20 yolks, called Eye of Newt.
The cake will still bake, but may not rise
without the power from 3 of Newt's eyes.
I have made this cake for 300 years
to rid the world of heart-broken tears.
My forgetful ways have caused this plight
where hearts can't feast on Cupid's Delight.
So I grabbed a cup, and off I flew
to my next-door neighbor, an evil shrew.
He must have thought I was destitute,
going door to door, begging for Eye of Newt.
He had filled up my cup, with 3 extra to eat
So I headed for home, my task now complete.
When the cake was done baking, I recited loves' spell,
"Let all broken hearts find a new place to dwell".
I've recited it often, this love incantation
to join lonely hearts in celebration.
Another Valentine's Day where love holds no spite
for hearts are all feasting on Cupid's Delight.
*******************************
I always pictured this with 3 "bad" witches trying to keep their good witch sister from saving Valentine's Day. Kind of a cross between Halloween and Valentines Day, and Hocus Pocus and Casper the Friendly Ghost. Feel free to use the idea and/or poem. I'll never do anything with it. LOL
Tue, 10/18/2011 - 06:48
#12
November will be my fourth NaSoAlMo. I may try do do another techno album, but incorporate real instruments with an ear toward being able to perform the songs live.
Before the end of the year, I hope to get my guitar and vocals recorded for the new 40 Rod Lightning album. It's been on the shelf for about a year and I really want to get it finished. I think it will be 20 songs. We have another 15 or so new songs that I'd like to get recorded some time next year, but not until the current album is done.
I am also working up the ambition to start another band to play my rock and punk songs from 50/90; most likely a trio. I am envisioning me on guitar and bass, a drummer and another guitar/bassist. The other guitar and I will take turns playing bass, but each have our own guitar rigs. We'll see if/where that goes. A lot depends on who I find to play with and our compromises.
Fri, 10/21/2011 - 12:44
#13
That's good writing ONE--Probably could spin off 2or 3 Halloween songs too
Fri, 10/21/2011 - 11:19
#14
My daughter came home for a weekend together. We did some of our 50/90 songs at an open mic last night. It's the first time I've ever performed at an open mic!! We did "Diamond Mine" and the bar went quiet to listen. Nearly made me stop singing because the silence was so...well...unloud. It was very cool, and I think we both had a shiver. The owner came around the bar as we were leaving to shake our hands and asked us to come back again sometime. Pretty fun for our first attempt, though my heart was pounding Sure wish Dawn lived closer so we could sing together more!
Today she is finally documenting her chords with her lyrics. I've been after her to do this! It's taking longer than she thought. My next creative jump is to get software to help me document the melody line along with my chords so I can create a 50/90 Fake Book for myself. Our children's choir would be more willing to sing some if there was a piano line to plunk out the melody. Documenting the harmony line would let Dawn or Paul jump in with me on some I had done by myself too! Paul is coming into town tonight too so we'll probably have a little family 50/90 encore. A little state history...children's...Dinocore mix!
Fri, 10/21/2011 - 13:00
#15
Hi Darci,
That's so great that your first open-mic foray was such a success. For me the open mics are what all this songwriting is really all about. Delivering a homemade song that's really working to a (small) crowd that's really listening is such a treat, and as you point out it's that quieting of the room and turning of heads that really tells you when it's happening. Of course, some nights don't click as well as others.
I'm mostly playing to marginally responsive folks lately, perhaps offering 'politeness' clapping automatically as songs end, but it's still a good way to reinforce one's nerves. It seems to require different brain pathways to recall words, chords, even melody lines in front of friends and strangers, than to just comfily in one's own bedroom. A few months ago on my first visit to a larger venue I got cheered three times on my first song -- once after the first verse+chorus, again when the song ended, and a third time when I mentioned I had written it myself. It will be a quite while before anything like that happens again, but things like that sure makes the off nights worth enduring.
While you're shopping for music software, you might want to check out the free website http://www.noteflight.com for writing down your melody lines. It's a slick little interface for writing, listening to, saving, sharing, even printing (as I recall, been a while). Any more, I just consider my demo recording to be my record of what the melody line is. I do write my lyrics neatly into Libre Office Writer, sized so that one song fits on one lyric sheet, and try also to write in the chords for songs where they aren't obvious to my ear.
Fri, 10/21/2011 - 14:32
#16
Good job, Darci and Dawn!
Now that the weather has cooled here in Florida, I'm performing live music just about every night ... out on the driveway.
Open mics are tough for me because they are either in coffeehouses with no beer or in bars where I spend too much on beer.
Fri, 10/21/2011 - 15:43
#17
So beer or bust. That's funny, Chip. I'd love to see one of your driveway performances, especially if there's beer. Can't beat that kind of party.
Fri, 10/21/2011 - 16:50
#18
As a compromise, Chip, you could always spend way too much on coffee 
But yeah, I hear you. I used to lobby for a free beer per performer at some open mics (especially for me!) and still spend too much on beer. Maybe I'll do so again if the economy ever picks up ...
Fri, 10/21/2011 - 18:00
#19
Thanks for the recommendation for noteflight.com - starting out with something "free" seems to be a good idea! I like that they have tutorials too!!
Chip - If you ever decide you need a break from the warmth of Florida and head north let me know! I make my own so there's always a bit of homebrew in the basement. I would be very willing to donate a couple pints to a thirsty artist...that is if said artist was playing on my back deck. My little way of supporting the arts!
Sun, 10/23/2011 - 06:38
#20
I did Nanowrimo quite a few times before I discovered the whole FAWM/50-90 thing. It's a good challenge, but I found myself hitting a brickwall with prose writing. Sure, I can write a 50 thousand word novel, but exactly do I do with it?
At least with songs, you can put them up and people will listen to them. Or you can get up and play them. But nobody wants to look at an unpublished story. Nobody's much interested in publishing them either.
The book business is kind of depressing at the moment. The music business is too, but it's still easier to get heard than read.
Sun, 10/23/2011 - 10:15
#21
@Kim: EReaders are making publishing more interesting. You can get a book or story in the Kindle or Barnes & Noble marketplace. My book got picked up by an indie publisher that specializes in ebook distribution. They're a pulp house, so they're aimed releasing books at cheaper prices ($1-3 US). If you have a couple laying around, I can put you in contact with my publisher, if you'd like.
Thu, 11/17/2011 - 00:32
#22
That NaSoAlMo site seems like it generates some malware. There was something on the forum there, about some part of the site (a configuration file?) having been hacked, which would redirect it to a malware site.
It seemed it was fixed, but now it seems like it's back.
I've seen both the 'sweepstakes' and the ' fake antivirus' 're-directs.'
Is anyone else getting this problem?
Thu, 11/17/2011 - 06:43
#23
that really sucks. i put the nasoalmo link in the weekly mailout i do from Outofthebedroom.co.uk and now i look like a dick because people are apparently being redirected to malware sites, and this after they said it was fixed. I'm sick of looking like a dick through no incompetence of my own.
Darci and Dawn, that's excellent. Keep it up!
re: free beer/no beer at open mics. Yeah, here in edinburgh there's no such thing as an open mic with no beer. You're expected to buy beer or leave if you attend. Some of them give a free beer to performers, but in my opinion this is an insult. Every free beer is a message saying "you're not worth paying, but you're probably an alcoholic, so here's something that you probably value, but which cost us next to nothing to provide to you" - and this happens at "real" gigs quite a lot too.
What's worse, most performers i know genuinely don't see what's wrong with the "we can't pay you any money, but here's a few beers" attitude. Not everybody's an alcoholic, and some people have to drive home even if they are a lush on other nights. Also, it's offensive to be told your music's worthless, even without the added insult of assuming you're a hopeless alcohol addict.
Thu, 11/17/2011 - 07:23
#24
Calum - I ran some gigs and the first time I did it, I split the money I was paid by the bar equally between the acts. It wasn't much. After speaking to a few bands, it was pretty much agreed that they'd all rather be bought a drink than paid £15 (which was pretty much what they got - also the drinks did cost me the same or slightly more than the money they'd have been paid, and I bought one performer a plate of chips instead, as was his preference). I'm not saying it's necessarily right, but it's not necessarily wrong either, IMO.
Fri, 11/18/2011 - 05:30
#25
i didn't say it was necessarily wrong, but what is wrong is the assumption that musicians will be happy to be given a beer in lieu of payment, or that if they don't want a beer, that they'll be happy to receive nothing at all.
And another thing that's quite disappointing to me is the fact that there are so many people who really would take a beer in payment for performing that genuinely don't seem to grasp why i don't think it's an acceptable assumption that performers are always happy to be paid with a couple of beers. That infuriates me*.
It's exactly the same as the thing about playing for free, and how it's undermining acts that are trying to establish the idea that their act is worth money, and that they can ask for money when they perform. I'm sure you're well aware of the ifs and buts there so i won't go on about it.
As far as i can see, if i play at a showcase event with five other performers, and they all get three bottles of beer, but i don't want beer so i get nothing, that's MORE insulting to me than if none of the performers gets anything. In order to get the same recompense as the other acts i have to drink alcohol? Hopeless. I'm sure it wouldn't be considered acceptable to pay musicians in cigarettes (though thirty years ago i bet it would have been considered perfectly okay). This isn't me being awkward, it's genuinely pathetic.
By the way, being paid money by the bar, eh? i too remember the 20th century with great fondness...
* - i'm sure that won't surprise anyone
Fri, 11/18/2011 - 05:41
#26
Yes, I agree beer or nothing is out of order. I guess my gigs were a bit different to the normal fare, as it was mostly friends, or friends of friends, who were playing, and working out how much to give people was rarely possible until the very end of the night, as I got a cut of the bar-take, not a set fee. People didn't really want to hang around, and I still owe one band £15 from about the 2nd gig I did. They left before the end and didn't respond to my email. I started just buying people food and drink after that. I probably made a slight loss on most gigs doing that, but people seemed to prefer it.
It was this century, btw. About a year ago. The bar is run by a guy who loves music and was very supportive. Unusual place, certainly in London.
I, personally, am happy to play for free as long as someone else isn't making a load of money out of it. I love playing live. I won't do gigs anymore, however, where the band booker can't be bothered to put together a line up of bands whose fans are likely to enjoy each others' music, and I'm happier doing free entry gigs, or benefit gigs.
Sat, 11/19/2011 - 10:15
#27
I agree with Helen - I, too, will do a free gig for a worthwhile cause. Two or three times a year, I play at a local library, in a small room that holds about 25 people. I consider the library staff friends, and I use the library myself. Occasionally, they have given me a few bucks, but I don't expect it.
Once or twice a year, I play for free an elementary school where a friend teaches. I'm a fellow teacher, her third-graders are delightful, and it's a treat for them - usually, I perform after they have done a grueling stretch of mandated state testing.
When our local market was starting out, I played for tips only because the guy who manages it is a pal and I wanted it to succeed. Now, he pays me and I play for tips, but a lot of the time I just use the money to buy supplies for my own classroom.
I don't do many gigs other than that anymore, but on the occasions I do get called I state my fee right away. Every once in a while they say they can't pay - but most agree. And I turn down a fair amount of gigs just because I don't like playing nights - my day job is fulfilling but exhausting.
When I referred to the open mics and beer-vs-no beer earlier, I wasn't thinking about being paid in beer. (I don't recall that ever happening to me - maybe because if it did, I got paid with a lot of beer.)
I was going to an open mic fairly regularly this summer and early fall - it's run by a friend, and it's in a bar I enjoy. I'd play my 3 songs, usually early in the evening, and stay and listen for a couple of hours. But I can drink quite a bit of beer in a couple of hours (I can walk there, by the way), and even with the bartender slipping me a free one now and then, I just decided I was spending too much money there.
On the other hand, a couple of years ago I was running an open mic at a coffeehouse/organic restaurant. And I decided that if I was going to be out in the evening, I didn't want to be in a place where I couldn't get a beer. Plus I was drinking way too much coffee.
Back to my original post that started this thread - I did meet up with a guy who wants to play hippie music. On Thursday, we jammed in a downtown park (the same one our local Occupiers were using until they were booted that same day). Guy came by with a sax and asked if we were busking (we weren't) because he does, and he didn't want to steal our listeners if we were. Which now makes me think that if you don't need a busking license here, and now that it's tourist season - it's a nice park, by the river, picturesque sunset view - maybe I'll make a few bucks, too.
Sat, 11/19/2011 - 16:26
#28
Back home in a town of 14k you need a license to play for tips on the street. Apparently here, in a town of 120k you don't.
I've a few things in the works, maybe.
-I'm doing a recording for the FAWMpilation submission deadline (maybe two.)
-I started a video series "songs from the toilet" that I hope to add to every 2-4 weeks. It's a silly idea, but it's something unique which is hard to come by.
-I've plans to do some recording of older songs which I've threatened to do since '09. (maybe song a week-the recording edition in 2012)
-I'm going through old notebooks and trying to get brief recordings of old songs i've mostly forgotten, no matter how good/bad they are.
-I've got an idea for two songs to write which could be decent. Instead of just sitting down and dashing them off I'm kind of letting them percolate a bit to see if I can get more quality letting them digest a bit.
-Just today I did a brief recording for the rocktober getbacktober cover series.
Maybe other stuff.. but I already know something on that list ain't gonna happen.