Tag: Songwriting

What to Do

Our bathroom remodeling is scheduled to start on Tuesday.  We are trying to fudge our work schedules so that at least one of us will be home each daY the work proceeds.  I get one telecommute day per week, and I can probably sneak in another.  Jen, my beautiful bride, can probably sneak in a couple as well.  In an attempt to not over do the extra TCing, I decided to take my last available (for now) vacation day on Tuesday.

That means I’ll be home all day with nothing to do while the work is happening.  What should I do with the day?

Last night before bed an idea came to me.  A musical idea.  I’ve done all of the Internet album in a month challenges, but I’ve never done one of the album in a day deals.  When Jen, my beloved wife, goes to sleep on Monday I’ll bring up GarageBand.  I’ll goof for an hour or so and then go to bed.  When she gets up at around 5:00 am I will get up as well and start cranking.  I’ll go to bed on Tuesday at the same time I started playing on Monday night.  Hopefully at that time I’ll have about 30 minutes worth of new songs.

I’m such a nerd, and there’s no way I’ll manage this… But it’s fun to consider it.

Song Idea

Last weekend I was sitting outside of the room Harry’s band was rehearsing in and noodling around with GarageBand on my phone. Next thing I know there is a rough idea for a song. Think Jimi Hendrix meets My Bloody Valentine except not even remotely as good as either. You get the idea.

I’m not working on a writing project right now, and the recording project I set for myself has stalled. What should I do with this idea? Should I maybe just start another writing project? Should I just let it sit like I usually do with orphaned song ideas?

No… something different this time. Today I recorded bass and rhythm guitar parts, replaced my cheesy iOS drums, and made a quick mix. I uploaded the still unfinished song to soundcloud and then did something I’ve never done with any song I’ve worked on since I started writing for myself at home back in 2007.

I let someone else listen to it.

I just Facebook messaged the soundcloud (I hate them so) link to the band and asked if they had any interest in playing it. I think I’m going to be afraid to check Facebook for the rest of the day. Maybe I’ll go outside and rake for a while.

Having no self confidence sucks sometimes. At least I worked up the courage to send the link. Call that a personal win.

Songs to Rerecord

Ive been thinking about which songs to rerecord, assuming I want to go through with that idea.  I want to stick to songs that I don’t hate (there aren’t many) and maybe make some changes here and there.

I’m thinking of starting with this one from 2013’s RPM.

This is mostly okay, but I don’t like how it starts with the verse.  It should also have a new ending.

The Last RPM Song!

That’s it kiddos, I’m done with RPM for another year! The last song has been mixed, the cover art is done and the running order is set. All I have left to do is burn a CD, print the cover, and drop it off at headquarters.

I’ll share a playlist with the final running order soon. Probably tomorrow. For now? Sleep!

2nd to Last Day

RPM ends tomorrow. What do I have left to do?

Mix one song.
Decide if I want to drop any songs from the playlist. I need 10, I have 15. There’s lots of wiggle room. One looks dropable, another is a gimmick so it’s probably dropable too. Plenty left to make up a decent running order.
Come up with a running order. There are four songs that suck less than the rest. Those will go first. After that? No idea.
Make up an insert. I used to use a make a cd cover website. I hope that’s still up. I also need to put my name on the picture I posted yesterday.
Either mail the thing out, or drive to Portsmouth and drop it off. I might drop it off this year. It depends on how my wife is feeling (she has a cold) and how much homework she has to do.

Then figure out what music project is next.

13 Songs Finished

I mixed a song at lunch time today and it immediately went onto the cut list. I just don’t like it. So I am not posting it here. Then after playing karate chauffeur to the kids all evening I mixed this one. It also probably belongs on the cut list, but it isn’t so bad.

Tracking is Complete

Unless I miscounted or forgot something, tracking for this year’s RPM Challenge/FAWM is complete. It should be 14 songs and one very cheesy instrumental thingie. I added a song last night before bed and finished it up today. I used my amp for the last two songs worth of guitar parts, and then re-recorded one of the other songs using the amp as well. There was one more I wanted to re-do, but I am out of time. The takes I have are okay so the song still works out. Now I have to mix the last six songs, and remix one from the other day that I think is no longer acceptable. Three days left.

Finish Line in Sight

The finish line is in sight for both the RPM Challenge and FAWM.

I put a very crappy vocal onto a song this morning before work.  Once that song is mixed, there will be 10 songs and more than 35 minutes.  Check and Check for RPM.  There are also three additional songs that I hope to put vocals on tomorrow.  If I can do that it will bring me up to 13 songs, one shy of a complete FAWM.

Last night, just before bed, I sketched out a little instrumental thing.  It will just basically be bass and guitar trading off.  Nothing terribly interesting there.  However, there is a bed consisting of a looped recording of the water dripping off of our picture window into a bunch of metal pots.  I recorded a couple of minutes worth of that sound and then chopped it into pieces so that it can drift around the stereo field, and every few seconds it will add more and more reverb and echo.  In all it will sound tres stupid, but it counts in my book.

That means I have one guitar part to finish and three vocals, and then mix mix mix.  If I am feeling dangerous tonight I might try to add another short vocal song.  That would mean I have to finish four vocals by about noon tomorrow, but it might be worth a shot.

Song Number Eight

Eight down, six to go. One of those six is ready to mix (I think) and two don’t exist at all yet. Things ain’t looking good for FAWM, but the RPM Challenge is looking nice and rosy.