1 project is actually 2
I’ve been overwhelmed with ideas for potential projects. I talked about the seasonal aspect of this problem recently. I had a moment of clarity. The most important project should include my song called “Hard Man.” I have a collection of songs that I want to record that should fit together. As I was going through […]
Too Many Irons
I do the same thing every year. I am sure it’s a seasonal kind of thing. Winter starts to subside and I get excited about springtime. I have started working on five different creative projects. They aren’t small projects. They are great ideas but I won’t be able to do them all. Realistically, one project […]
Try Again
I’ve been working on recording my new song called Hard Man. I love this song. I’ve gotten a lot of great feedback and I feel like this song is important. Getting a great studio recording feels very essential. Maybe the pressure is getting to me. Everything that I have recorded is absolute crap. I spent […]
Words vs. Music
Are the words or music more important? I have heard or been involved with multiple debates on this subject in the past week. When I am writing, I’m a words-first kind of guy. I love words. I always thought of myself as being fully committed to team words. A song isn’t good if the words […]
Too Many Chords
During the last year, I have prioritized the memorization of songs. The ability to remember words has never been my strong suit. The mark of a great entertainer is the ability to pull a vast number of songs out of thin air. I’m working hard to increase my repertoire. Most folk songs are the same […]
The Vanishing Wednesdays
I am a creature of habit. I have a routine and I like my routine. Certain jobs get done on specific days. For example, I block out time on Tuesdays for songwriting. Wednesdays are reserved for studio time. Fridays are for scrubbing the toilet. This doesn’t mean that I won’t sit down and work on […]
The Switch
When I started this daily blog, I wanted to document my daily work. It was a way to hold myself accountable via a public record. It wasn’t meant to be self-promotion. I was writing about the stuff that I was making to make sure that I would continue to make stuff. I also thought it […]
Status Update, December 2022
I stayed up late last night brainstorming for potential future projects. I guess this is the kind of thing that happens as we approach the new year. A list of projects for the upcoming year is a cliche. There are three projects that I want to put together. One is a collection of hobo songs […]
Know When To Fold ‘Em
For the past year, I’ve been making a series of one-minute-long videos for social media. I’ve talked about it extensively and you don’t need to hear it all again. The important thing is that the One Minute Song series is going on hiatus. I don’t think I can articulate all of the reasons why, it […]
Scary Songs for Christmas
On my creative journey, it seems that I am always late. I’ve got a good batch of scary songs started right now. By the time these songs are finished, it will be Christmas. It’s too bad that “Nightmare Before Christmas” has already been made. If I promptly take these songs into the studio, they could […]
A Quick Change of Shirt
I recorded a batch of videos for my One Minute Cover Song series. I’m happy about this batch of fall songs. It’s good material. I like to record my short videos in batches. Setup time can be expensive. When I get everything ready, it is more efficient to record as many clips as possible at […]
Sleep On It
There is an app on my phone that I use to shoot all of my videos. The camera on a newer phone is really good. This app provides an additional level of control that puts a phone on par with any other professional video setup. I cleared the day to shoot a batch of one-minute […]
The Click
I finally got myself back into the studio. I have been itching to work on a new arrangement of an old song. The acoustic guitar is supposed to be the foundation for the recording. I know how to play guitar. I have been doing it for a long time. This part is not difficult but […]
Ch-ch-ch-changes
School is back in session this week and 4/5 of my family will be back into a regular routine. I should be able to find more available time or at least something resembling a consistent work schedule. It looks like we will have to be flexible and adjust some times. -My morning schedule will be […]
I Start With A Calendar
I have been working on a series of one-minute songs. The goal is that this video series will align with “current trends in media consumption.” You can read more about this series here and here. I think the majority of creators in my field start with an idea, make a video, and then post it. […]
Backwards Process
When writing a song, you can start with a melody or some words. That’s it. Those are the only two options. Most songwriters have a preference. If you are a melody person, you groove on your melody until you find some words. If you are more of a words person, you write the words and […]
Edison
On vacation last week, we saw a quote regarding Thomas Edison’s work habits and Mrs. Brother Jack said that he and I have similar creative output. I was honored to be compared to such a prolific idea machine. Edison intended that he and all of the inventors that worked for him would produce “a minor […]
One Minute Videos
Lately, I’ve been making a lot of videos that are one minute long. One-minute-long videos are the current big thing. The internet gods have decreed that our attention spans can only stay focused for a maximum of one minute. I doubt this is truly due to our attention spans but one minute is what they […]
Video Killed the Radio Star
Three of my five most recent dispatches have focused on video content. When I signed up to be a songwriter many years ago, I did not anticipate the need for video-making skills. The majority of what I now do involves a video component. It’s not enough to make pleasant melodies and thought-provoking lyrics. You can […]
Vague Generalities
I like to have a plan. My family often teased me for requiring a preconceived plan when playing imaginary games as a little kid. My friends like to point out that I have been known to schedule an evening to be spontaneous and then plan out the details. I even have a daily plan that […]
Songwriting Season Has Ended
I love the classic bit with Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck where they argue with Elmer Fudd. “Duck season!” “Wabbit season!” “Duck season!” “Wabbit season!” I’ve been feeling the seasonal tug between songwriting season and gig season. I tend to do my creative work in batches and it often follows some yearly cycles. I wrote […]
Ghosts – An Idea
I had an idea for a song way back in December of 2020. It was a groove on the ukulele and a notion about ghosts. I regularly played the groove but I couldn’t get myself around to the actual writing. Playing this hook never fails to make my kids dance around the room. Off and […]
Never Underestimate a Good Title
If a song is worth anything, it will stick in your craw without any help or reinforcement. A good song shouldn’t need to be written down. As I am aging, I trust my memory less and less. I require some basic notes to preserve the idea. Most of my songs grow from a tiny initial […]
I Really Had To Pee
We had a weekend at my in-law’s big, old- fashioned house. Mrs. Brother Jack’s father turned 70. It was great to celebrate his life. He has had a tremendous impact on who I am. He doesn’t get the credit he deserves and it was nice to have a party for him. All five members of […]
Follow the Bugs
I am working on a rough mix of my song called Bugs. The parts were recorded almost two years ago. It didn’t fit with any other projects at the time and was relegated to the back of the queue. As I am currently between projects (completely directionless), this mix has now found its way to […]
A Bunch of Songs
I have written six new songs in three months. I don’t know how it compares to other songwriters but for me it is a respectable rate. I’m talking about six complete songs. This does not include the bad songs, social media snippets, and song fragments headed to the bone pile. I feel as though I […]
Sanctified
Where do songs come from?