Just finished a full production of my new uptempo pop/dance song... harmony & all, and am uploading it to Soundclick right now. I think it's pretty good, just gonna get some feedback on it. Have a couple listings I want to submit it to so need to get it tweaked for submission soon. It's a bit of a departure for me from my usual melancholy ballads :-).
Let see, today I had a brief tel meeting with a client, taught 4 students, produced this dance song with lead & harmony vocals... ran an errand downtown to get blank art cards & some signs laminated for my summer gallery... cooked dinner... talked to my girlfriend, who just came home from Denmark. Got the colour digital photos from the photographer... looks like I'll get the black & whites next week. Need to go to bed soon, of course.
Later!
busy weekend
Hi there. After being sick most of last week (and feeling pretty grumpy & lethargic with it), I managed to get myself ready for an audition yesterday. Met with my coach Friday, worked on the pieces, stayed up too late (so what else is new), got up & got ready, went and sang, then ran some errands. They said "great, thanks for coming in, we'll be in touch soon" in case you're curious. Bar is pretty high so I don't expect much. Then I had to get ready for my photo shoot today, this was for photos for my press kit / CD cover, et al. Really like the photographer... it's black & white and I'll get to see the contact sheets later this week... but I did get to see the digital colour photos he took - wow, is that me? Looks like a movie star!
Also managed, in amongs all that, to work on a new song - this one uptempo, believe it or not - am loading a short sample up to soundclick at this moment, if you are curious, it's 'Dance Away my Sorrow'.
Let's see, also went to bank, got groceries, did laundry... made a necklace (yeah I'm doin' jewelry now), took it apart, and made a choker instead, looks nice. Also watched a little tv - I rented 'Finding Neverland' lovely movie, reminds us how important a spirit of play is to having a joyful life.
Got two collabs going at the moment and two waiting in the wings... and going away for a few days over the Victoria Day long weekend (how nice of them to name it after me, LOL) to my Dad's, so while I will be scribbling lyrics and picking melodies out on the keyboard up there... I probably won't be able to post. But I will try to drop in and let you know my progress before I leave.
Talk to ya... gotta (famous last words) go to bed!!
Also managed, in amongs all that, to work on a new song - this one uptempo, believe it or not - am loading a short sample up to soundclick at this moment, if you are curious, it's 'Dance Away my Sorrow'.
Let's see, also went to bank, got groceries, did laundry... made a necklace (yeah I'm doin' jewelry now), took it apart, and made a choker instead, looks nice. Also watched a little tv - I rented 'Finding Neverland' lovely movie, reminds us how important a spirit of play is to having a joyful life.
Got two collabs going at the moment and two waiting in the wings... and going away for a few days over the Victoria Day long weekend (how nice of them to name it after me, LOL) to my Dad's, so while I will be scribbling lyrics and picking melodies out on the keyboard up there... I probably won't be able to post. But I will try to drop in and let you know my progress before I leave.
Talk to ya... gotta (famous last words) go to bed!!
uploading a new song
Hi... had a bit of a cold this week, so was dragging myself around a bit. Woke up this morning to find a message on my Soundclick board telling me that Wilted Heart had gotten up to #2 on the Country-pop charts!! Highest yet!!!
Despite feeling under the weather, today I managed to finish off a rough of my newest, called 'Send Me a Man' - hopefully a lighthearted pop/AAA piece. I'd done the vocals last week so I was just fiddling with the rest of it. Am uploading it to SC right now, before I go to bed. I've got a couple more waiting in the wings for me to get a) my voice back, b) the energy, c) the time.
Had a good session with my steady co-writer MK on Wednesday, we nailed down some good lyrics in a rewrite, and decided we'd try to focus on one song each week, as we both feel a bit scattered if we work on a bunch of things at once.
Had planned to go away for a month in the summer but I'm starting to rethink that... maybe just a couple weeks. I don't feel ready to go and I've got so much to do!! But I know I do need to have some time off. Feels hard to go away.
More later, gotta finish this uploading and get to bed!
Despite feeling under the weather, today I managed to finish off a rough of my newest, called 'Send Me a Man' - hopefully a lighthearted pop/AAA piece. I'd done the vocals last week so I was just fiddling with the rest of it. Am uploading it to SC right now, before I go to bed. I've got a couple more waiting in the wings for me to get a) my voice back, b) the energy, c) the time.
Had a good session with my steady co-writer MK on Wednesday, we nailed down some good lyrics in a rewrite, and decided we'd try to focus on one song each week, as we both feel a bit scattered if we work on a bunch of things at once.
Had planned to go away for a month in the summer but I'm starting to rethink that... maybe just a couple weeks. I don't feel ready to go and I've got so much to do!! But I know I do need to have some time off. Feels hard to go away.
More later, gotta finish this uploading and get to bed!
learned some good things
Hi, went to a songwriting workshop with John Braheny yesterday, learned some interesting things, got a copy of his book for less than I would pay in the bookstore - he signed it too - and even was lucky enough to have my song critiqued.
I feel like I'm getting closer to understanding the real craft of crafting a song, if you know what I mean. Everytime I spend time with someone like John, more lightbulbs go off. He's a Taxi reviewer, too, so it gives you a real good sense of what it's like to be on his side of the submission process. And a good dose of reality when it comes to getting a song past the gatekeepers.
I'll be taking his remarks into consideration as I write - and rewrite - my songs.
Gotta hit the sack - more later!
I feel like I'm getting closer to understanding the real craft of crafting a song, if you know what I mean. Everytime I spend time with someone like John, more lightbulbs go off. He's a Taxi reviewer, too, so it gives you a real good sense of what it's like to be on his side of the submission process. And a good dose of reality when it comes to getting a song past the gatekeepers.
I'll be taking his remarks into consideration as I write - and rewrite - my songs.
Gotta hit the sack - more later!
new & improved?
Spent most of the evening redoing the backing & vocals for Wilted Heart a la pop/AAA, since I have been informed that, altho it is currently #4 on the Soundclick country-pop charts & has reached as high as #6 on the SC country (overall) charts, it is not a country song. Check it out, it's uploaded to SC now.
Have to go to bed now as have to get up at 5 am to catch a ferry & go to Vancouver for a songwriting working with John Braheny ("The Craft and the Business of Songwriting").
Later!!
Have to go to bed now as have to get up at 5 am to catch a ferry & go to Vancouver for a songwriting working with John Braheny ("The Craft and the Business of Songwriting").
Later!!
tryin to be efficient
let's see, today I...
- put together a "one-sheet" for my press kit;
- devised a letterhead & cover letter;
- created a CD label for my demo using one of my paintings as artwork;
- sent all this in a package to a NY film co.
- put in a name search request for the name of my music publishing co... if it clears I'll register it with the corporate registry.
- recorded the revised lyrics for 'She Was Always There', and am uploading the new file to SC as we speak;
- listened to 'Dreaming Love' again... I'm doin a collab with a European musican & need to finish it, but seem to have run out of ideas at the moment;
- looked at the music for another mid-tempo song I'm writing with MK;
- listened to my new country song, still need to work on the ending;
- looked over my list of leads and tried to zero in on what submissions I plan to make in the next few days.
- did a couple of hours of "VA" work... VA = virtual secretary... I do admin / design work for folks in Toronto & down in CA.
- taught 4 students.
- talked to a couple of folks on the phone.
- went for a walk, went to the bank, picked up some groceries.
- checked & posted to a few threads on the Taxi & IJ boards.
- updated my blog!
- put together a "one-sheet" for my press kit;
- devised a letterhead & cover letter;
- created a CD label for my demo using one of my paintings as artwork;
- sent all this in a package to a NY film co.
- put in a name search request for the name of my music publishing co... if it clears I'll register it with the corporate registry.
- recorded the revised lyrics for 'She Was Always There', and am uploading the new file to SC as we speak;
- listened to 'Dreaming Love' again... I'm doin a collab with a European musican & need to finish it, but seem to have run out of ideas at the moment;
- looked at the music for another mid-tempo song I'm writing with MK;
- listened to my new country song, still need to work on the ending;
- looked over my list of leads and tried to zero in on what submissions I plan to make in the next few days.
- did a couple of hours of "VA" work... VA = virtual secretary... I do admin / design work for folks in Toronto & down in CA.
- taught 4 students.
- talked to a couple of folks on the phone.
- went for a walk, went to the bank, picked up some groceries.
- checked & posted to a few threads on the Taxi & IJ boards.
- updated my blog!
slogging away
yes, I am slogging away through a sea of doubt. Sometimes I wonder if I will ever understand what makes a good song into a great song, and what elements of a great song make it commercially viable. One song I've submitted several times has great lyrics (I'm told), good contrast between sections, catchy melody, etc... but is not considered *m.a.r.k.e.t.a.b.l.e*. So what do you do with that?
Still, I continue to work and put together songs... and I still think I can only write my songs for me... yes, I can craft them for the market by using the forms that are prevelent, but I can't change the essense of them. I like dreamy soundscapes that are as much about music as they are about words... setting a mood, a scene. I also like powerful word statements & strong backgrounds. Both don't seem to be hitting the mark as far as the industry goes.
I am working on writing and recording several songs, from which I will choose 3 to 5 for an EP, to be released on my own indie label this summer. That's why I've been a little lax about posting here, so apologies to you if you've been waiting for an update. I think too, it's hard to talk about your process when you are struggling with despondency around the lack of interest in new/unique sounds from the homogenized industry.
But I am having fun with my new recording system, I'm starting to figure out what I'm doing and my newest doesn't sound half bad!!
Talk to you soon - I promise...
Still, I continue to work and put together songs... and I still think I can only write my songs for me... yes, I can craft them for the market by using the forms that are prevelent, but I can't change the essense of them. I like dreamy soundscapes that are as much about music as they are about words... setting a mood, a scene. I also like powerful word statements & strong backgrounds. Both don't seem to be hitting the mark as far as the industry goes.
I am working on writing and recording several songs, from which I will choose 3 to 5 for an EP, to be released on my own indie label this summer. That's why I've been a little lax about posting here, so apologies to you if you've been waiting for an update. I think too, it's hard to talk about your process when you are struggling with despondency around the lack of interest in new/unique sounds from the homogenized industry.
But I am having fun with my new recording system, I'm starting to figure out what I'm doing and my newest doesn't sound half bad!!
Talk to you soon - I promise...
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