It's been a long time since I've been songwriting, or performing my own music. My life is like most people's very complex in the recession, and has taken some odd twists and turns recently. I am now working on getting myself back out there playing, every day I am writing new material. I was inspired by a book on creative writing which encourages the writer to take their work seriously and to write every day and commit to finishing work.
I am getting older, need to get new photos done I think although I don't look as good now, but hey, it's the music that counts not the face that sings it.
I have not been writing my own stuff for a while and so at first my songwriting efforts were "clunky". I worked on a couple of half-written songs and just from playing them over and over, it's amazing how I just add bits, improve bits, shape it all without really consciously deciding to. After working on some "clunky" songs which seemed a bit stilted, I decided to just use a couple of "classic chords" D and C and write a verse around them. I played these over and over with a few guitar clichés added, but then something in me just took over, and I wrote a second section. I have only written the acoustic guitar parts, but I am so happy with it, I hear it singing in my head all the time and that's a good sign. Even if I am the only person who will ever hear it or like it, it won't matter a bit because it brings me so much joy to just play it, and it makes me so happy to know that I can still write modest bits of music and sing.
I am making these new songs, unapologetically melodic. It hasn't been cool in any way for a very long time for musicians to be melodic or to use many chords, or have lyrics that are soppy, but I am doing all three.
I rediscovered the music of Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam recently and am so happy to see he is touring again and on form. Some of my listeners tend to like my electronic experimental music. But when life is insecure in so many ways and money problems are pouring down, the world seems in chaos, I find reassuring melodies and reassuring "solid" chord sequences on an acoustic guitar with reassuring lyrics, make me happy. They take me back "home" to the new folk songwriters of the early 1970s.
I am also influenced by the novel Jane Eyre and the songs I have been writing are all based on this character and story, but the songs end up being about something else that is still going on today. The themes in Jane Eyre are the themes of girls growing up in society and finding their place, within and without religious and educational institutions, within/without the family, as well as within a range of love relationships. I get older but life is still a struggle to find my place in all these areas, I've never managed to fit in to anything I haven't created or adapted.
I went twice to an open mic in the past week or so to perform the songs, the first time, the place was closed although I met some wonderfully interesting and intense people there, the second time they put me on so late I had to go home and give up my spot. I didn't mind, no amount of rehearsing is ever enough when it comes to open mic spots. I like to perform in poetry venues as the audience tend to appreciate the music more and also it encourages me to write better lyrics.
So that was my ramble. I wish this summer could last forever so I can continue working on my music every day.
Love and Peace to all you good people.x
I am getting older, need to get new photos done I think although I don't look as good now, but hey, it's the music that counts not the face that sings it.
I have not been writing my own stuff for a while and so at first my songwriting efforts were "clunky". I worked on a couple of half-written songs and just from playing them over and over, it's amazing how I just add bits, improve bits, shape it all without really consciously deciding to. After working on some "clunky" songs which seemed a bit stilted, I decided to just use a couple of "classic chords" D and C and write a verse around them. I played these over and over with a few guitar clichés added, but then something in me just took over, and I wrote a second section. I have only written the acoustic guitar parts, but I am so happy with it, I hear it singing in my head all the time and that's a good sign. Even if I am the only person who will ever hear it or like it, it won't matter a bit because it brings me so much joy to just play it, and it makes me so happy to know that I can still write modest bits of music and sing.
I am making these new songs, unapologetically melodic. It hasn't been cool in any way for a very long time for musicians to be melodic or to use many chords, or have lyrics that are soppy, but I am doing all three.
I rediscovered the music of Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam recently and am so happy to see he is touring again and on form. Some of my listeners tend to like my electronic experimental music. But when life is insecure in so many ways and money problems are pouring down, the world seems in chaos, I find reassuring melodies and reassuring "solid" chord sequences on an acoustic guitar with reassuring lyrics, make me happy. They take me back "home" to the new folk songwriters of the early 1970s.
I am also influenced by the novel Jane Eyre and the songs I have been writing are all based on this character and story, but the songs end up being about something else that is still going on today. The themes in Jane Eyre are the themes of girls growing up in society and finding their place, within and without religious and educational institutions, within/without the family, as well as within a range of love relationships. I get older but life is still a struggle to find my place in all these areas, I've never managed to fit in to anything I haven't created or adapted.
I went twice to an open mic in the past week or so to perform the songs, the first time, the place was closed although I met some wonderfully interesting and intense people there, the second time they put me on so late I had to go home and give up my spot. I didn't mind, no amount of rehearsing is ever enough when it comes to open mic spots. I like to perform in poetry venues as the audience tend to appreciate the music more and also it encourages me to write better lyrics.
So that was my ramble. I wish this summer could last forever so I can continue working on my music every day.
Love and Peace to all you good people.x
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