Good Day All!
So far, this year, I have posted every Sunday (like I said I would at the top of year). This is a milestone for an ADHD’er. I have yet to get distracted, forget and not post. Of course, we’re six weeks into the new year. Give it some time!
My Latest Project Status
I now have four out of six songs mostly arranged. I did have a seventh song in mind, but I’m not sold on it. I’ll save that one for some other project in the distant future (if it gets realized at all).
When I note “mostly arranged,” I’m not referring to all the vocals done. I mean the instrumental aspects — e.g., that the song is far enough along to add the vocals. I’m one of those who likes to arrange the “band” first and THEN sing to it. There are those who like it the other way around — i.e., they show up with a guitar and voice to record, AND then the arrangement is built around that. Yeah… not me.
When I sing in the shower 🚿, I hear a band 🎸in my head backing me up. Drums 🥁, bass 🎸, accompaniment, the whole shebang. When I actually get to building the arrangement, that ephemeral band in my head surrenders to the actual sounds I find. Besides, there’s fun in discovering something other than what I originally conceived. The whole process becomes a kind of hide and seek with the sound modules as a song is born.
This is where I’m at lately: Discovery mode. It’s one thing to write the song. It’s quite another to arrange it. Arranging can be a little like rewriting the song. I consider a form of editing, though. It’s just building on the ideas that feed on each other from one layer to another.
All this to note: Things are coming along.
100 Days of Songwriting
For any songwriters out there reading this, I have found a home group to help stay on track. Every couple of months, they have a goal of going 100 days committed to something you’re doing with your songs. It can be anything from creating an album (a lofty task) to simply cleaning up your lyrics folder. But it’s something you do for 100 days.
I’ve joined them a couple of times now. And I’ll be joining again in March. This will actually help to get this latest release out. My specific goal is to have all arrangements and vocals done by the end of it.
There’s this whole other thing called mixing and mastering and releasing. That’ll happen AFTER it, in the summer. It’s too ambitious to believe the entire release would be done by the time June rolls around. Prior experience has proven that. But to have it ready for mixing and mastering? That’s a realistic goal.
This group is out here (on the web): https://100daysofsongwriting.com
If you’re writing in your room somewhere (quietly writing some songs) and want to join a group of friendly, similar people, this might be for you!
🎵🎹🎵