The Megaphone

It was June 20^th when the muse last paid a visit, granting me another song to share with the world.  Song writing remains very mysterious to me because of how the seeming events unfold.  For the most part the resultant effort in this past event, seems or otherwise feels as though I, the human within this body, was not present and involved.  I can recall portions of the experience, yet in this moment I am unable to recognize and or recall what I will refer to here as the enzyme causing it to erupt.  I do recall being in my living room in movement, walking past the end of my couch, when the flood of word and inspiration struck, which in turn stopped my forward progression to briefly pause then abruptly pivot 180 degrees with a thought that there was something here to capture.  This type of situation has struck me many times over the years under differing circumstances, causing me to quickly get to the computer enabling the capture of what seems magical.

Soon there after, I found myself before the word processor’s screen, engaged in writing an impression of this thought flood.    In the flood was an auditory influence that had a shape of its own, illusionary holding the words to its shape in both pitch and cadence.  I wrote out 7 lines of text, containing two separate forms, before grabbing up my guitar to actually find the shape of audio provided beside or with the words.  After a bit of fumbling with notes on the fretboard the pitch resolved as an AA (the second A below middle C on a piano or, an open A string on a standardly tuned guitar), and from there the guitars standard A first position was established, being the key for the piece.  The  entire musical phrase for the verse quickly took an understood shape, where as shifting into the chorus was a less fluid process, with some intuitive searching for the shape of it, I experienced a couple of stutters along the way, as finding the shape of this chorus seemed illusive for some time.  I played through my impression a few times yet, there was a flaw, as the resolution from this progression (in a D) back to the AA was impossible.  I then realized the solution, a somewhat different play in the chord structure of the chorus.  As fast as a spark, the chorus had its shape, allowing me to sing the words I’d written.  

At that point, I put the guitar down and concentrated on the lyrics.  The muse was still alive in me, allowing the words to flow out effortlessly.  From beginning to end the song was written completely along with its composition in what must have been less than 15 minutes.  Taking to the guitar again, I began singing the lyric with its accompaniment, smiling along the way, having an impression of the song’s essence solidifying in my mind.  Yet experience has shown that at this point in time, I could easily have a lapse in my memory as to this song’s true essence. 

Thank you Linux OS for the ease with which it has become handy to record raw audio.  I turned the system on (Ardour), set up the inputs for the microphones and recorded a rough draft to preserve what was in the moment, raw thought inside my head.  It worked flawlessly.  I now had the new song captured in essence, and after a Save As and giving the file a name, I had a new song. 

With a raw copy stored and a feeling of accomplishment in the unexpected, with the muse lurking somewhere overhead in the ethers of being I happily began the process of properly recording this new song.  I opened the drumming software (Hydrogen) and with my mechanical metronome, determined a fitting tempo.  I then input this number into the software and set to making a very basic drumming pattern with just a bass drum on the 1, 3 and the backbeat snare at 2, 4.  With  this pattern running in the background I then recorded the piece over, in its entirety with this to hold the tempo while re-recording.  This produced a better impression of the song.  I then began composing a bass track to glue the tune into its form.  After hooking up the electric bass guitar into the system a multi step process due to lacking a bass amplifier here, I recorded a bass track beside what was previously done.  Fact is I am less than proficient enough at playing the bass, to create a usable bass track.  I could overcome this were I to play the instrument but… that is not in my card deck now.  I can play it well enough to use the recorded track as a template for creating a good midi bass track.  I did both of these things to create a good bass track for the recording.  Upon completion of the bass track in midi, I then switched back to the drumming software to create a drum track that might do more than hold the tempo, one that could add too and compliment the song, fitting beside the bass.  From the moment of inception to near done, I had a reasonably completed song in under 2 hours.  To me, amazing.

Since then I have done only a little bit of work to this recording as other demands had to take precedence.  I had a scheduled performance of 2.5 hours, 5 days hence and had great need to practice and rehearse, having excluded most public performances for well over a year.  And the beat goes on.

Follow the Muse

Saturday, July 28, 2018 allowed a new song’s creation. This came about toward the end of my normal morning routine. I’d completed a morning review of the credible news that I prefer from the traditional sources provided on the internet. Weekends usually offer less viable news, thus the time it took to review the content, seemed brief. Living in my mind, forming thoughts that can formulate plans where none may prioritize my action for a day, or better stated as living in the moment, is the methodology I regularly utilize and prefer.

Having done this, while drinking my usual dose of strong coffee to wipe away the lingering slumber of night and sleep, a decision as to what to do next entered my thoughts. The possibilities are truly endless, yet I am rather set in habitual patterns, where mornings and plans come together. Because I seldom plan what I’ll do with days, the habits come into play quite often. This day followed that course for a short time after completing the news review. I then turned toward listening to the prerecorded music of others, of my own choosing. It is seldom that I allow the choices of others (radio etc.) to determine what I’ll allow to fill my space, as I prefer making my own choices as to what may influence my day, because sometimes doing so will alter its mood. For me, music can sometimes strongly influence and temper how my day evolves.

The previous evening I had chosen a course, deciding to learn another song, written and performed originally by Bob Dylan, "Just Like a Woman." I had been inspired by viewing the dvd, "A Concert for Bangladesh," where as, having seen Bob’s rendition with the group on hand for that occasion, I paused the player, to learn the song for myself. In doing so that evening, I had called up the song from his album "Blond on Blond," to my media player in order to review its original form and to study its structure. Unknowingly, this sequence of events set up the circumstances that allowed this new song’s creation the following morning.

Thus after completing the news review that morning, I opened my preferred media player, Amarok. It had in its memory the single song " Just Like a Woman" retained in its playlist from that previous nights application. Seeing this, the thought to again fill the room with the presence of Bob’s recordings, yet wishing to add to the play list, I called up a new songlist of Dylan recordings, including the album "Modern Times." The media player went through many songs while I prepared and ate a breakfast, when I again found myself sitting here listening, the track "Thunder on the Mountain," was playing when, near the end of said track, a trigger in thought occurred. In an instant, this caused me to shut down the music, to open a word processor and I let words begin forming in my head, typing them into the computer.

I began writing out the words that came to mind. In those moments, I followed the slate of inspiration. It lacked any preconceived idea as to what might form. The only thing I understood in those moments, were that those words "thunder on the mountain," separate, standing alone, hold a somewhat iconic theme for me. It is sourced in my own life’s experience. I have experienced lightening and its thunder on mountains well above timberline. At that time being there in that situation provided a potent experience that conjured up survival instinct, leaving an altered sense of awe in its wake. Even so I lacked a desire to express that situation in any way. Also, in thought was my desire to remain fully separated from either the words or expression I’d just heard in Bob’s song. I wrote out lines, a full verse worth of them, then paused to review and alter them. At present, memory has little recall as to the content of those lines. I knew that I wanted to shape an idea that could express a personal core value in regard to our shared environment, that which we all in some way share commonly, this earth and foremost, the alarming trends that I notice.

Upon editing those first few lines, a shape and direction began to jell. I have heard thunder and have noted in its presence what could be termed as anger or in this instance, rage. It could be that the human response to the immediacy of lightening and its associated thunder, is what caused ancient humans to consider the existence of there being something much more powerful than they. Knowing nothing of the physical forces displayed during these weather events, I suppose the alarm of being in its presence was the cause for what is now known as a God. However; this is not my point, nor is the content of what came there after in my writing. The first line evolved then, into, "I’ve heard that the thunder, has to loose its rage." In this case the word rage might be a reflection on my own reaction to being in its presence in high elevation places, where the threat of lightening’s force, I personally recognized as, immense. With this alteration and some others in those initial lines of verse, a direction for the song took hold. Even so, I was without any clear intention as to the sought destination of their collective expression. The first line here (although unknown at the time) is used only as texture for what was to be this vignette of words, that in the moment of conception possessed no music or even a hint there in.

Now for certain, there is no deliberate "other person," in the words of this lyric. It is my understanding of the importance of interpersonal relationships, which brings another person into the story. I believe doing so provides a place that others may be drawn into, as we humans instinctively associate ourselves as being, a part of the whole. And with this comes an understanding of our own mortality, a condition that in my own aging, tends to hold a distinct significance. We will all eventually pass from what we know as living, and go on to what ever comes there after, something or nothing. Since I neither know the answer to that unstated question, or possess desire to instill it into this song, I have simply referenced it via the imagery in, we may, "feel age."

From this point in the process, a contextual situation is created by the introduction of a commonly understood yet hypothetical location, that being, in the mountains. Now observations from the observer’s view begin to form, bringing the thunder back into play as a shared experience. The effect of our relationships in and on this planet are employed here through the use of imagery. I brought birds and the season of spring in at this point because both have the potential to be an influence and be influenced, in our lives.

A separate set of ideas is then introduced as a chorus. It acknowledges some of the most basic things that make up our lives and the conditions which shape them, water, sun, the revolutions of our earth and time.

The song’s last two verses attempt to clearly bring the seasonal cycles in living here into play. Summers end, birds migrate, fall comes and the seasons change throughout our lives. Hopefully we can all find inspiration in living. For myself and so many others, singing is both a producer of happiness and of hope. Doing it by a campfire is even better!

A New Song About Songs

Very odd circumstances can sometimes culminate in the creation of new songs. I had one of those experiences a while back. It was late morning, following breakfast, with the lingering of a kitchen mess drawing my attention toward clean-up, that I now note as the beginning of this unfolding. The house was still, in the quiet after going through the morning’s ‘catching up’ on the supposed news. Outside the wildfire smoke was intense enough that the windows were all closed up for my intension to keep the concentration of particulate out, increasing the silence within. I thought to change the ambiance by adding some music to sooth my mind as I began the task ahead. Turning on my computer’s music reproduction software, I contemplated the play-list displayed, a remnant of yesterday’s listening to old Neil Young albums. In that moment with the last two tunes of his Zuma album (from 1975) cued up and waiting while my desire wanted something different, yet these two songs could play without disrupting my mood. Still the task in the kitchen required greater duration of time than these two songs could cover, but what to set forth? I wanted something different, something other than playing through the set order of recorded albums. My usual method for selecting a play list is, calling up artists, looking through album names, then choosing among the albums in the data base. Instead of following this procedure, I chose to enter words into the search box. Happenstance guided what followed, in the search box, I typed the words, “hard times.” The database parsed out 11 artist names, in the ordered list containing those two words. I added the titles to the play list, clicked the play button, then back to the kitchen to begin washing the dishes.

With this musical set list now filling the space, I began the dish washing process. At least three days of dishes had accumulated since the last washing, yet the quantity was minimal. I waited for the sink to fill, adding the liquid soap, placing the neatly arranged bowls into the steamy water, while noting the music that set the mood, pleasant in its familiarity. That washing, rinsing, and placing of clean tableware into the drainer began in its normal manner as the second song, the last track of Zuma began. I’d not listened to this in years, it sounded like CSN&Y (I later looked into this to find that all of those guys participated in the recording). My thoughts flipped about, influenced by the music and the activity. As the name themed song titles progressed, my thoughts swayed to the influence, the singing of songs about hard times. By the time the list had tracked through and to Woody Guthrie’s song, "Hard Times," I began considering that all these songs are derived out of the historically hard times that these authors had lived through, or at least knew something of. With the influences of these various hard time themes reflecting in my thoughts, combined with my own ever present quest of creating new songs, I began considering a tale based in songs about hard times. The Guthrie song, being one from the Library of Congress Recording sessions, includes a conversational narrative portion of some duration. It was during this narrative that my mind skipped past the spoken, allowing a phrase of my own to build about songs of hard times. Looking back now, it seems as tho, Woody’s statement about the many songs he knew about hard times, must have influenced my trajectory of thought. So many songs about hard times. I’d just listened to many other songs with the theme, hard times. Everybody’s singing songs about hard times. All these people sang songs of hard times, so why not write a song about a few people who wrote songs about hard times, inclusive of something specific to their author. With the dish washing completed, I moved back to the computer to write out the idea.

Since I had concluded this topic viable for a song, I set upon writing the theme. I immediately wrote what is a sort of chorus, having six lines specific to the general theme, singing songs about hard times, then I went back to the music program to revisit the individual songs that sparked the idea. I began with Woody Guthrie, to derive the respective theme expressed in the song. There in I wrote a verse having to do with Mr. Guthrie. I went down the play-list revisiting all the tunes and researching to discover the author whom wrote these songs, rather than the recording artist listened to, for clarity in addressing who actually created the themes I'd been experiencing. From that point on, the process was quite simple, mechanical really, although it was inspired of my own passion.

Now, in reflection, I realize that this song came about through my deliberate attempt to write a song. This is a different methodology from the usual method I employ. More often than not, my own experience in creating songs has shown up through what I consider as the song finding me, or the universe gave it out, allowing me to catch it due to being receptive, which is not what happened during this song's creation. It worked out rather quickly, the writing and then establishing a musical theme that could support the lyrics. In truth, I believe I have found better songs through listening to that which is offered by the universe, than what this song amounts to. Even so, this was another song writing experience.

(Ben Bullington) The Friend I Knew But Never Had

(Ben Bullington) The Friend I Knew But Never Had

Today is days after the creation of another new song. Time seems to fly you know?  In this song writing experience, when reflecting on it, I can say it to be typical of writing songs, that being, it is always different!   The circumstances that surround the idea, and its sprouting into becoming a song, well they are unique to themselves, drawing from days now years ago, a time with a friend to watch good musicians play their own tunes.  I saw Merle Haggard that weekend.  The “Red Ants Pants Music Festival” If you go check it out, I'm pretty sure you will have a good time.  Really I am not here to talk about or promote the festival, because unlike the festival, this song is that which I did show up to write about, this song seems pretty darn good to me.  There is a very odd circumstance to tell here,  a connection between this song and the music festival.  On the morning that this song came, I'd received the mailing list announcement from the Red Ants Pants Foundation, telling about the upcoming summer show.  And it really is only some circumstance which led me to write this song.

Those years ago when I attended the Red Ants Pants Music Festival, one of the artists showcased was, Ben Bullington.  He was a gifted guitarist, singer, and song writer.  Since my introduction to Ben at the Festival, I did a simple search on that YouTube and found many very good samples of Ben and his music.   In there, I'd found one video that I especially appreciate, maybe because of my own, smidgen of a connection to the actual place, but the song and the setting with which the video contained it, has a memory that lingers still.   I found and turned on that video, that morning, after receiving the e-mail from the Red Ants Pants Foundation, to again view its content.  It was just the same as it was the last time I saw it. :)  Ben's song, White Sulphur Springs, beautiful to my ear.  Now Ben, he passed away a year or more ago, so I cherish the memories.  After its conclusion the song idea in words began to form.

With the recognition of what I wrote above, I then contemplated an idea which was forming.  The idea having to do with an abstraction about how we, as humans can be personally impacted by music, by songs, their lyric, or some of the lines there in.  None the less, it is seemingly quite a phenomenon that humans can form bonds in that manner, yet there it is, we do, it is real.  I think myself in some ways have felt as though I knew some songwriters through their music.  They were like friends, in that abstract way.  The lyrics formed up in acknowledgement of that friend like situation which comes up with individuals and song writers, or maybe it is just me, hmmm?? Friends that we never had came as a line.  Well I wrote four line stanzas, three of them, then tried another but the words didn't line up really, a line showed up yet it was incomplete.  I passed it by, although, I left it on the page, I then wrote I believe two more sets of stanzas, before I actually stopped to read what was there.  I looked at it knowing, its intent.

The content seemed a mess, yet there was a theme, based in the memory described above.  With the mouse I high-lite the third paragraph, grabbed and dropped it at the top, then moved what had previously been first putting it third.  Now the idea was clear, the song is about songs.  Its about what songs can show or do.  Songs are unique in that way pointing out a very specific topic.  It's powerful art.

I came to a halt at this point.  There were words forming up, they had that needed characteristic of meter, yet no music.  Through my own experience, it is seldom that I can continue writing words before having touched an instrument with a definite inspiration, but I had nothing.  It has happened previously, coming to a point where the muse seems to have fled the room.  In the past some songs I've stopped entirely, they still await their due completion, the song intended, but the song must contain it's initial inspiration to continue.  So I am stopped, I have thoughts of being influenced by the music of Ben's song, because it was the last thing I had experienced prior to the muse's stream, the stream I was following until now when away it went.  I had the '62 Gibson J-45 in my hand, its scarred face a unique portrait of its history, leaving cracks and a missing chip of spruce near where the sound hole nears the fingerboard on the upper front bout.  It's character, the injuries that happen.  Its sound comes out sweetly when finger-tips strike them just right.   A rhythm formed, as did the question of suitability for the lyrics on the computer screen.  Actually that particular rhythm sounded like something else, at least in a way, no I say, no!  More tries, left me feeling that I'm being forceful rather than flowing.  Maybe the muse is really gone?  Then it came together, just as suddenly as the words, voice engaged, struggling to read the computer screen.  I stopped adjusting the lyrics, larger, to large to fit in one desktop window, so I opened a new document, placed it beside the window of lyrics, copy and pasting the lyrics in the fresh window, then scrolling the second window to show the words hidden in that lower left, below the window's size limit.  Now with large sized letters I could read the words as best as I am able and back to the guitar and its fine sound with finger tips, but no, a pick will sound different, and a pick took the task.  I'd found a rhythm and a chord progression in C Major.  It is a long time since I've written a song in C.  It started coming together, but the tongue brain interface and alignment with the lyric in the cadence, as it often does, seemed like singing tongue twisters.  I believe this is a tempo issue, where a quick tempo rhythm forces the mouth to go faster and in strange ways while their order remains unknown in the brain.  And as normal for me when dealing with the unfamiliar, I tend to speed up, which makes the difficulty more of a struggle.  I had found this song, it was coming home.  I sang the first verse, then again, then the second a couple of times, struggling to form the words.  I could tell this was going to be one of those hard ones to learn.  I got through these first three verses to decide that the incomplete line I'd previously abandon, could form up a chorus, and I shifted the rhythm up a 4th to the F forming a chorus.  It was too short, being but two phrases, “the starry eyed, the story spun.”  The writer and the story he'd told.   Then a different kind of idea came, from looking above seeing a line already written.  Paste, instant gratification, it was a tie, connecting an earlier thought, that could become a theme.  I sang that a couple of times, still too short?  I left it again, to sing the next sets of lines.  The upper half of the song shows a distinct subject  of what songs bring in messages, if any.  I mean there are no real rules. This song says it is about songs by declaring, “Songs are sung,” also saying “songs are made.”  The point being that songs can do things to people, they stir up emotion of all kinds.  It is also saying that the author of a song is significant to the songs point of view.  The second half of the song, I say half although the second part is more lengthy than the first, the song shifts to the observer of songs, the point of view being the listener, having recognized a song as meaningful.  The song then concludes by recognizing that Ben has died and that his death has its own impact on individuals.  I know his death had a noted twitch in me, back when I heard of it.  That is why I gave the song it's oddly formed name: (Ben Bullington) The Friend I Knew But Never Had.  I have experience this situation with Ben, and now it is this song.  So Ben, I guess this song is for you, RIP.

In this moment, I've no idea when this song will have it's own recording completion. It could be days, or weeks. or month, even years away, if ever.  The song referred to in the previous post is of a song that awaited recording for a year and a half.  When it is finished, I'll make notice. 

One More New Song

Another song became reality for me today. Its creation did seem to be more deliberate, coming in a rare way for the music I create. I thought up an idea while in the process of listening to a song by, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, from their album, "Looking Forward".  My intention in that moment was to simply listen to this album, because it is new to me. The tune is called, "Stand Up and Be Counted," although; the song has no actual baring on the song I wrote, it is merely a coincidence. Yet the kind of music that those guys have made has always influenced me and the way I seem to make my own music.

I am trying to write about the process of writing and composing in this blog. For this particular song, I am less than willing to state much of this songs content with specificity. The subject really has little baring on the process in reality. Now the last song I wrote about came to me in a very different way. The first lines of that song came out at its inception, while with this one a question came up, a question that becomes a statement of fact in reality. This question, although pertinent to the theme, is something that I chose to use more as a summary at the end, rather than placing it at the lead off position in the song.

Thus having found a subject that had no previous supporting story, the story had yet to be told, so I went about writing the supporting story. The subject is what we would call current events. Thus the only real challenge was to write it in the form of poetic verse, that had a suiting rhythmic phrasing. After writing one verse, I got out the guitar to figure out a structured rhythm that could be suited to the cadence my mind was imagining. I figured out a tune in Bm, having 4 chords, in 4/4 time, as the A part. With that I quickly developed a melody for the vocal part and sang through this first verse. It worked well enough, although not knowing what the lyric is, singing it was very fractured. It seemed sound enough, so I put the guitar back down and set out to write another verse to enhance, building on the story. With a second verse complete, it was time to introduce the chorus or the B part. Using the line I had previously typed out in the word processor, with its question, it demanded an explanation, so I went about creating one, comparatively equaling the structure of the two verses already completed.

When I again tried singing these lyrics, the total seemed off but I didn't know why. So I thought about it soon realizing I had fallen into a trap of familiarity, the chord sequence was equal to that of another song of mine. To use that again would really lack a place at my table, so I changed the whole thing up. First I dabbled with some 5/4 timing, but that is just a bit too out there for my desires at this point. Sitting here in this moment, I again feel a want to dabble in that 5/4 rhythm at some time in the future. However I settled in with a 3/4 time and changed up the chord structure quite significantly, though I did keep it in a Bm. Where the original idea, when using the 4/4 time had a moderate tempo, I slowed this one down a bit, phrasing the verse in a way that each line of verse took up two cycles of the chord progression to complete. In the previous attempt, while in 4/4 time, the lines were sung within one repetition of the chord pattern.

I then played the song enough to allow making a rough recording without too many errors.. When that was completed, I didn't even listen to it, instead, after saving the data, I shut down the programs that held them and went back to listening to CSNY. Right now when reflecting on that decision, I find it odd. Yet I was lacking a forceful desire to continue with the process at that point, so I was done with it for the time being. I lack any preconceived idea of this song as to its quality or if it will stay in its current form, or be altered again in the days to come.

 

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Post writing edit/insert

Call Me Honey

August 3, 2016 another song was created in the morning of my day. It was a typically odd circumstance which allowed these words and the subsequent music to come into being. Odd in that its initial spark came after adding a spoon of honey to my ritualistic morning cup of coffee. As I did the act of placing the honey into the cup and stirring it, these words spilled out in my mind, "I put some honey in my coffee." Then as I grabbed the cup, to take it back to my desk, an echo like phrase came, "I put some honey in my tea." Where these kind of phrases come from, while there is a lack of intention directed toward writing, remains mysterious to me. My intention was fully centered on gaining access to coffee, in order to again feel alertly awake in my morning. I admit I'm addicted to coffee regardless of any quality associated with this state of being. Sometimes I try to quit coffee and each time I find a rather equal result. I seem unable to awaken with any rapidity without it. So after several days of feeling half asleep, well past noon, and tiring of that situation, I go back to enjoying coffee in the mornings and waking up with some rapidity. I call it the elixir of life, although; I know that, in itself is a grand illusion.

Well after reaching my desk with the honey altered cup of coffee, and the lines in words becoming magnetic in my mind, I considered a question, can I actually bring these couple of lines into a document, to build upon them, or will the illusive potential fall short. In general making the decision can offer potential, where shutting this potential door will always disallow. I chose to reach for potential, opening the word processor.

I typed out the two lines sequentially, as they had originally come to mind. Then I thought I could alter the circumstance of the subject to create a fully different meaning. Rather than it being a narrative in a singular person I could create a second person, where I chose to insinuate a couple in their comparative actions, drinking hot beverages in the morning. It implies that these two individuals are sharing the same space. It also tends toward word play, by introducing a synonym in this introductory section of verse. The following line brings a context that places the two into a relationship situation, "I call you Honey in the morning," with it being a proper noun in this instance rather than the noun for that sweet substance created by our friends, the honey bee. The line following, addresses the insect and how they can be going about their lives as something that us alert humans have a capacity to observe. I followed these four lines of verse with a different kind of cadence, which offers a musical shift, to create distinct separation. The subject of this second part, demonstrates an observance of the changing nature of our civilization. Having made these two distinct sets of rhythmic cadence, I took these two as templates in their form, and wrote out three more sets of each of these patterns. I struggled in the process some, yet I was able to avoid the mental blocks that sometimes come while writing. There was no preconceived idea to reach for as to the subject. At one point I wrote a couple of lines that took the intended mood in a negative direction. I read through them, deciding that I really didn't want to go toward the doom and gloom in this piece, where as I deleted those ideas to replace them with something more positive.

When I got to a potential end point, I got out the guitar and developed a pattern of chords that seemed to fit the melodic ideas that had been creeping into my thoughts as I wrote the words. Even the key to which the melodic thoughts came to me fit. This is a rare circumstance for me as my musical thought patterns seldom reflect as "in pitch" and I have to deal with transposition from the ideas into workable playable music. Thus the music side of this creation was a very easy process to pass through. This song was near complete. I then successfully set out to record a rough draft to prevent my forgetfulness robbing from the essence of this new creation.

Having completed the saving of this new song in a very rough form, I set out to instill it into my mind through repeatedly playing and singing the words. It can sometimes take a lot of practice, using the printed lyric as a guide to actually be able to sing and play a new creation. There are some instances where how one expresses the syllables allowing them to fit with the rhythm and melody in the music, (I call this act "syllablization," even though this may not be a real word). In this process I recognized that some of the originally written words could be improved upon in order to facilitate a stronger cadence in expressible structure. There were several lines in the individual B parts that were clumsy, so I altered the original words to emphasize cadence. I am now much happier with how the lyrics flow, having practiced the song enough to find it can flow with an ease.

While practicing singing and playing this song the time came to look at its entrance and its exit. The entrance seemed to be whole, as is, by going through the melodic rhythm pattern of the A parts, to be followed by simply adding the vocal after its first time through. The ending at this point remained with a need of consideration. So during one of these early on practices when finishing the vocal section followed by an empty tag line, an odd idea formed. I actually don't quite know how to describe what it is with accurate specificity. What I chose to do is something like this: in single notes finger picked, I went up a couple of octaves, playing a descending pattern that descends the chord's notes, "1, 3, 5," though not necessarily in that order, then ascending it back up, all within the frame of one measure, followed by dropping a half step and repeating. This pattern repeats again another whole step down, descending down by half steps, it resembles a cascading sequence, dropping to the songs conclusion.

As time passes, I will work toward making a conclusive representation of this work in a well done recording and post it on my website http://thomasepeterson.com.

In This World So Blue

Over a week ago now, I wrote and composed another song. The universe threw it in my face so to speak, so I took the initiative and wrote it up. It was another of those late morning moments after, the coffee, the breakfast, and viewing the news had finished for the day. A tune came into my head, from my reminiscing on days gone by, thoughts of a Hank Williams III song, “5 Shots of Whiskey” (from Love Sick, Broke & Driftin') came in. So, I called it up on the computer for another listen. I have heard this song many times, and I like it. In the moments I'd call 'the afters,' you know, during that little space of time where the event has just past, yet our thoughts have a way to linger briefly, hanging on to a fragmented moment, focused on a related thought. I told myself, self, you have not written a drinking song. It happened in a moment while walking into the bathroom to lose some of the coffee. The words “Give me a drink, now this one's five,” came in, having a direct correlation to Hank's song, with the lyric, “Give me five shots of Whiskey...” In the least I can tie this thought to having just listened to those words, and the genre similar to the thoughts of melody, my head is also set in one of those slow sad-sap country beats, but that was as far as that similarity goes. By the time I had made my way back to my desk several lines of rhyme in this theme had transformed into some substance making sense in its way. Now in a second look, the subject is also similar to Hank's, man, telling the story, the subject of the story, a women, and love lost. Put it together and it caused heart ache. I did have to sort of work at these words, though it came pretty quickly. It came out nearly as spontaneously as growing hair, well faster than that by a lot.

This song is different from any that I've done previously in how it has a tag line at the end of each verse. That is a method I have never used before. When I wrote it, I thought it a rather powerful technique to use. And it works really well at holding the song together, so well that it can be doubled or tripled up (if so desired) and works giving elasticity to the lyric until I finally determine what this songs finish product will look like.

So the story line is of, I'll say a guy, likely because I am, and since I sing the song, it only makes sense for the character to be a guy. The guy is at the bar, probably a bar fly type that often drinks at the bars, it is familiar territory, and this person feels comfortable barking out orders to the bar-keep. “Give me a drink, now this is five, and I think that this'll help me stay alive,” is the opening lines in the lyric. Then he goes on thinking aloud about how down he is and how long it has been this way. As I said it's sad-sap lyrics. The verse ends with the tag line, “I'll come around, look what I've found, in this world so blue.” The second verse begins similar to the first, the guy barking out another order to the bar-keep, though using simple addition, this time the drink is number six, and it rhymes with tricks, so it works. I can't give it all away right now! Anyhow, this verse goes on by adding to the details of being down compounded by being drunk while longing for that now 'lost' lover, and how feeling this way is habitual for this individual, and again, the verse ends with the tag line.

The chorus deals in its subject with how the two had become friends that eventually led to being lovers. Its description is brief with some imagery of cars under the stars, and that it is this magnetism that creates the fond memory and its melancholy.

The last verse goes toward the imagined conversation between this person and the bar-keep, because of the potentials of driving while intoxicated. The guy tells him that he won't drive very far if he goes, just a couple of blocks at best. But the drunkenness takes the thought back to the desire for the drinks and the hope that the woman will return. Then again the tag, followed by another chorus.

In the week since writing the lyrics composing and recording a rough draft of the tune, I've played it several times becoming familiar with its cadence and putting the lyric in my brain (the real hard part of the process). In the times going through this song I have decided that chunks of lyric though written correctly were out of sequence. By moving a few blocks of text to different positions in the lyrical progression, I improved the over all image that these lyrics seem to want. I may not be finished with changing the songs details. The details in imagery are what evokes thought in the audience, that is my goal sometimes as a song writer. This is not so much the case in this particular song, because it is another silly sad-sap song. I do think that recognizing the potential of this particular technique, using a tag line is pretty significant in the evolution of writing lyrics as a craft. This kind of song writing is pretty much outside of my normal folk tune, by quite a lot, and that is okay with me.

This song can now be listened to at the website if you choose In This World So Blue. It is sort-of a country blues piece.

Awaken, another new song!

The birth of another new musical tune, and song came my way again today. As the days in living progress these songs and their lyric, inspired by the universe, I'd say due to having no other form to pin the inspiration upon, seem to form into units containing what I consider as having higher quality in its overall result. The reason for this is likely the experience gained over the years, creating my own songs in my method or it might be chance? What ever allows it, this brings to bare a sense of personal satisfaction.

For the sake of this writing and the theme of the blog, the trigger for writing, if known, should be stated. Quite like the previous posting about the song Bomb Train, this was also influenced and triggered in watching Democracy Now. Thank you Amy Goodman! I truly think this is more a general circumstance than anything other. Yet the same kind of scenario that brought out Bomb Train, occurred again this morning. I know I have been harboring the will to write this song and its general content for some time now, without actually having taken any steps to bring it into being prior. I guess this actual subject had not been clear in my mind before the words began forming upon my typing them into the word processor.

This lyric came in the form of what is the first line of the song, “Wake up, we can awaken today.” With it came a piece of what is now a melodic shape, though brief and truncated from its now complete form. The general theme is the state of humanity and the racial injustice and inequality that is so pervasive both here in the United States of America and in most locations where there are separate cultures, races and belief systems in contact, one with the other(s). I consider this representation in the human condition one that will one day fall into the past. As humans, the struggles that groups create, based in their own fears, and their own prejudices, serves to retard our potential to be better both as individuals and as groups having commonalities in sharing our home planet. It is sad really.

So I wrote two lines out in the computer, then having that melody forming internally, I grabbed a guitar, quickly finding the key and shape of it in a rhythmic form, set in a 3/4 time, and sang those lines, I then repeated the process to attempt capturing its entire essence. Succeeding at that, I shifted back to the computer and wrote another few lines, using a similar form as in the first line. That is with an opening two word statement, followed by an expansion on that statement, or a further clarification on what the statement represents. I completed 4 lines using that form. For the following verse, I chose to alter that theme a slight bit, reducing the introductory statement to that of a single word. Again I repeated this shape, writing 4 lines with this form.

I then got an idea of breaking from a traditional song shape or form. Most generally, folk type songs follow a pattern similar to: verse, verse, chorus, verse, chorus... I wanted to attempt something different as a form of musical structure for this song. Having now constructed to verses of a consistent meter, the next set in verse would take on a differing meter, slight though distinctly altered. The metered lines in this part are unlike that in the first two verses. The single and or double word introduction to the line was dropped, allowing the lines to be broken in two segments, having two measures each or being that of a single line taking on the entire four measures. When it had taken form in the digital space before me, I again switched to the guitar and fooled with a form that would complement the original, while bringing it out in the 3. rather than the 1. Thus as the key for the original verses is a G Minor, this second stanza is in a C. Having a simple understanding of music theory, I can barely understand that this song is in a minor key, but only because of the use of an A minor, and the E minor, in the progression. I finished fitting out the chord structure in this second part, then returned to the computer keyboard to write out more content.

Again with the thought of breaking with tradition, the following section I decided would take on another musical shape and meter. This part is set in E minor. Another set of four lines formed up. They are somewhat representative of the second shape or second part of the song in that the original structure, of an introducing word, or two, followed by a complementing element was dropped entirely. These lines are also split in the middle, having a duration of two measures, followed by a second part having two more measures to make up a line. An exception is the fourth line carries the entire four measures, and is a summarizing statement Similar phrasing is also done with single phrasings that carry through the entire 4 measures.

With this much complete, I considered that the song's lyric was finished in that it said all I wished to express. None the less it was rather brief in total duration, having played and sung it along the course of its construction. So if naming the four verse like pieces of this song with each containing four lines, the first and second sets are the first part. The third set is the second part and the fourth set is the third part. I concluded a way to bring more length to the song would be repeating the entire four sets of lines but in a different order. Having reached the end of the writing or the fourth section (third part), it is followed by a repeat of both the third and fourth sections (second and third parts). This is then followed by what would be a break where the melody returns to that of the beginning of the song. The break is short in duration and is followed by a repeat of the first two sections (first part, a1 and a2) of lyric, with which a conclusion is reached with the repeat of the last line.

I successfully recorded a rough version of the song, a method of preservation because my aging brain has a way of loosing these ideas while they are young, where as not recording them leads to a differing kind of struggle. One that is hopeful of somehow recapturing that which was.

 *************Edit***************

I have added a new fully redone recording of this song, ''Awaken,''  April 1, 2020 http://thomasepeterson.com from at thomasepeterson.com

Bomb Train

Yesterday morning, early in my day as I started my normal routine (if in fact I have one), I began watching Democracy Now on the computer. Amy was going through the details of the daily headlines, the story was about another oil train exploding, this time in Mount Carbon, West Virginia. The programming showed the video a fireball raising upward into a cloud covered snowy sky and an observer obviously frightened by the intensity of the explosion. Seeing this triggered recent thoughts of this very subject as the theme of a song. I have been carrying around the idea since last summer, yet until today it remained solely as an idea. By chance, the previous night I had watched an episode of the early 1960's television show ''Rawhide'', who's musical theme seemingly remaining in the forefront of my consciousness, obvious to me now, came to mind. Those words, ''rollin, rollin rollin,'' popped into thought, in its musical form. The words can logically describe the movement of a train, and the musical theme in that very brief stanza in music formed solidly immediately followed by a differing stanza retaining that rhythm, yet entirely original. A phrase of ascending notes, followed a similar phrase of descending notes. This event happened in a time span of seconds and I immediately realized this could be the song. I grabbed the computer mouse, pausing the news video in play, followed by the opening of a word processor and began to write. ''Rollin', rollin', rollin', when the bomb trains come rollin, on into your town...” and continued, words quickly coming into place, telling a new imaginary story about the observance of an oil train passing by, the observer stopped behind a blocking railroad crossing gate, awaiting the train's passage. A poetic description of how it could be to be forced from the intended path by a railroad crossing gate and the train rolling by directly behind it. I think on that scene now, although imaginary, I painted it up pretty well, the hearing of the train horn, the wheels striking the joints in the steel track causing that distinct sound and waiting there in a state of limbo or in a position of being on hold. From there the story goes on tho the threat these oil trains pose in real life, to anyone who might happen to be near one of these exploding bomb trains, in which the story line concludes that the train will explode when it reaches ''downtown.'' I stopped somewhere after writing out the first half of the verse, 4 lines of rhyme, to grab a guitar to compose this music that was now rather clear in my minds eye.

The music created is in the key of E minor, in 2/4 time, in a fast moving tempo of 194 BPM. It begins quite like the theme of ''Rawhide,'' only long enough to get through those three words, creating a brief illusion that will bring up memories to the listener of that theme song, but then with a brief walk-down conclusion of that stanza, the ascending phrase takes hold, altering this illusion of known, into what will be unknown to the listener. I decided to make the first half of the verse, those four lines, in the key of E minor, then the following second half of the verse being different, in the key of A minor. This half concludes resolving back to a similar resolution as the first half, that is a B7th which follows a F# , making a somewhat apprehensive shape in its musical presentation.

Having now at least somewhat formed the complete musical theme, I put the guitar back down and went back to the keyboard, writing out more lyrics. I went back again to the introductory stanza, rollin', rollin', rollin', adding a complementary phrase, bomb train to it, as though it were a following tag, then went on to another verse. Along the course of the process, I went back and forth between writing and review while playing guitar and singing these new lyrics. The purpose being that of integrating the music into my memory while analyzing the lyric for meter and rhyme. Along the course in process, I became stumped to rhyme a particular line closing word that seemed important enough to retain rather than replace. I did something new to me, I used a search engine asking it for a rhyme to this word. To my surprise I found website, new to me rhymes.net, which provided a solving of the word in wanting. Later in the process, I came to another desire for finding rhyme and tried the website again without having a successful conclusion. I was however able to find a rhyme after some thought, and on I went.

With the concluding verses of the song I had the desire to make this work hold some historical significance. Having no actual factual information on hand, I did another web search finding several instances in fact, of locations where oil trains have exploded in recent history. There are surprisingly and sadly, too many to choose from. I found several names of communities, cities or towns, wrote them down, along with the human death count from a specific location and disaster. I incorporated these names and figures into the lyric, giving the song historical reference.

I concluded the song as I started it, back to that opening theme, including the complementary, ''bomb train'' phrase, again followed by those ascending/descending stanzas. In the end, I practiced playing and singing the song for a long time, then made a rough recording to hold the song. My memory is really getting leaky.

**An edit addendum**

I have added a refined recording of this song and video, mp3 page of my website: www.thomasepeterson.com

Practicing

It has been quite some time since I wrote here. Mostly I have not found the energy to do so after something happened in my musical space.

I have been trying to practice more regularly, with some success. The past many years I have not played or practiced enough to retain the edge that degree of competence desired. Even so I fight with having the inspiration to continue at times, though this is fading gradually as I persist in pushing ever on. My memory is gaining again, finding the old lost synapses is gradually taking hold. Practicing daily really helps with the whole musical thing.

I have been trying to develop a method that may better allow progress in the recording process. The problem I believe is one centered in/on, cumulative regular practice. I had sort of considered that lack of practice in regards to particular tunes, with their specific riffs contributes to the problems I experience in attempting to record good clean inspired tracks. In fact I know it to be true. In order to combat this, I developed a list of the six songs I am involved in recording at this time, although; there are many more than six I wish to complete recordings of. I have for the past month tried to play those six tunes every time I practice, and actually work on the weak spots, becoming more proficient at playing each of the parts. This may be helping. But even in that process the nasty "burn out" issue is showing up. So a couple of nights ago I took a detour from the list and all of my other contrived methods. I even gave way and played a raft of cover songs, old favorites, left behind over time. It was productive in a way, or so I think. Last night then I just played for a few hours, no lists, no contrived method or routine. I simply played what came to mind of my original works, with some cover tunes thrown in here and there. It was a very good session, though no recording or attempts to do so came into the picture.

Today I will try again, though my fingers are a bit sensitive (evidence of lacking practice). Though it is expected when there is an increased amount of time playing the strings. The callous is getting deep again, although; at this point I retain a string groove on one finger. I am not of a mind at this time to attempt to record anything as I feel there is more need to simply practice, regaining that in-touch relationship (mental) with the instrument.

Another bit of interest is a new song, March 22. I called it “Why Do I Listen To The Wind” a song sort of about politics, though maybe not. I made a rough draft recording of it immediately after writing it out, since it came up as a complete song. I then wrote a midi bass track for it. It may be one of those good songs in the collection. Personally I find it difficult to place very much of a definitive judgment on my own songs, especially when they are new.

The other thing is attempting to play in public more. I am trying to line up some gigs for the summer. I found one and may get more although that is a part of being a musician that I don't really want to know how to accomplish. I guess a manager would be good.