February, 2010

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RPM 2010: Rough Songs

Friday, February 12th, 2010

Another RPM Challenge post where I’m trying to show my creative work.  My prior step in this process is here.  You can still listen to last year’s songs here or here.  To hear everybody else’s music, just click the Jukebox icon.

First came the idea fragments.  Next comes the work of adding some transitions and turning them into song-ish, song-length-ish tunes.  Here are the resulting lo-fi .mp3 files, played on a guitar tuned a half-step down(-ish):

  • Rough Song 2 (instead of the A, it’s open a lot) (G – C – B – A – Gb – B – A – A / Gb – G / (em -) D – Bm – Gbm – G / D – Bm – Gbm)
  • Rough Song 5 (E – Dmb – Ab – A / E – B – Ab – A / E – B – D – Ab – A)
  • Rough Song 8 (D – A – open / A – G – open (- Bb/A) / D – A – G – A (-Bb/A))
  • Rough Song 10 (capo 1) (B – Gb – A – E (- Gb) / Db – Ab – B – Gb (- Ab) / D – D – D – A)
  • Rough Song 17 (capo 5) (e – D – A / A – G – Gb / Gb – Bb – F / F – G – A / Bm – A – D – G / G – C – A)
  • Rough Song 20 (G – open – Bb / Eb – D – G / e – B – gb – Db (- D))
  • Rough Song 22 (capo 5) (D – Asus (- G))
  • Rough Song 24 (B – D / A – Ab – G / E – A / E – B – A (- open) / A – A – G)
  • Rough Song 25 (capo 6) (Db – Ab – Gb – Ab / Gb – Ab – A – B – A – B / Dbm(e) – Bbm(e) – A(e) – Ab(e))
  • Rough Song 26 (capo 2) (D – A – G – e / g – D (- A – E))
  • Rough Song 28 (capo 4) (Cg – F – Gsus – F / Cg – Am7g – Gsus – Emg – Fg)

That’s eleven.  If you want to help work on any of these, grab one and let me know.

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RPM 2010: Idea Fragments

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

Last year, thanks to the RPM Challenge, I had a completely manic and productive February and put together my first-ever album of music.  You can listen to my songs here or here.  To play around in the sandbox of everybody else’s music, just click the Jukebox icon.

I’m working on my RPM album for 2010, but I’m not sure whether it’ll get done this year.  I’ll try my best.  Meanwhile, I’m going to blog about the process and “show my work” so to speak.  Giving anyone who wants it some insight into this creative madness and allowing me a chance to look back later and see where it all came from.

The first step is to have ideas.  Anytime I’m playing guitar and I hit on something new and fun or a cool riff or chord progression, I switch the microphone on and record it so I can remember later.  Over the past year, I made about 30 of those little fragmentary ideas.  The first step in writing is to sort through them and weed out the ones that suck and find the ones I’m most excited about.  So here are some lo-fi clips of the ideas that I’m most likely to try and make some music out of (ignore my Randy Jackson “arright” in just about every take):

They don’t sound like much yet, but I can feel at least a glimmer of potential.  The next step is taking the fragments and putting in some transitions and seeing if they work as rough “song-length” pieces.  I’ll post those when I’ve got ‘em.

Meanwhile, if you happen to know a percussionist(!) or an instrumentalist who might want to have some fun, collaborate, or contribute, I’d love to have help.  Especially a percussionist, bass player, or any quirky instrument like a violin, cello, or oboe or something….

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Up In the Air

Friday, February 5th, 2010

I saw Up In the Air a while back, but I keep thinking back on it.  Just for fun, here’s a snippet of the dialogue that I thought was pretty terrific.

***

Natalie – I thought I’d be engaged by now.  (catches herself)  No offense.

Alex – It’s alright.
Ryan – None taken.

Natalie – When I was sixteen, I thought by twenty three, I would be married, maybe have a kid…  Corner office by day, entertaining by night.  I was supposed to be driving a Grand Cherokee by now.

Alex – Life can underwhelm you that way.

Natalie – Now I have my sights on twenty nine, because thirty is just way too… apocalyptic.  I mean, where did you think you’d be by…  (she catches herself, having no idea how old Alex is)

Alex – It doesn’t work that way.
Ryan – At a certain point, you stop with the deadlines.
Alex – They can be a little counterproductive.

Natalie – I don’t want to say anything that’s… anti-feminist.  I mean, I really appreciate everything your generation did for me.

Alex – (my generation?)  It was our pleasure.

Natalie – But sometimes it feels like no matter how much success I have, it all won’t matter until I find the right guy.

Alex – You really thought this guy was the one.

Natalie – Yeah, I guess.  I don’t know.  I could have made it work.  He just really fit the bill.

Ryan – The bill?

Natalie – My type.  You know, white collar.  College grad.  Loves dogs.  Likes funny movies.  Six foot one.  Brown hair.  Kind eyes.  Works in finance but is Outdoorsy, you know, on the weekends.  (we think she’s done)  I always imagined he’d have a single syllable name like Matt or John or… Dave.  In a perfect world, he drives a Four Runner and the only thing he loves more than me is his golden lab.  Oh… and a nice smile.  (back to Alex and Ryan)  How about you?  (This catches both Alex and Ryan off guard.)

Ryan – I’m not sure if…

Natalie – I meant Alex…

Ryan – Right.

Alex – Huh, let me think for a sec.  (mulls it over)  Well, by the time you’re thirty four, all the physical requirements are pretty much out the window.  I mean you secretly pray he’ll be taller than you.  (smiles)  Not an asshole would be nice?  Just someone who enjoys my company.  Comes from a good family – You don’t think about that when you’re younger.  (thinking)  Wants kids…  Likes kids.   Wants kids.  Healthy enough to play catch with his future son one day.  (We can tell Ryan is taking a serious interest in this.)  Please let him earn more than I do.  That doesn’t make sense now, but believe me, it will one day.  Otherwise it’s just a recipe for disaster.  (reaching)  Hopefully some hair on his head…?  But it’s not exactly a deal-breaker anymore.  Nice smile…  Yep, a nice smile just might do it.  (Looks to Ryan.  He has a nice smile.)

Natalie – Wow.  That was depressing. . . . I don’t mind being married to my career, and I don’t expect it to hold me in bed as I fall asleep.  (looks up)  I just don’t want to settle.

Alex – You’re young.  Right now you see settling as some sort of failure.

Natalie – It is.  By definition.

Alex – Don’t worry, by the time someone is right for you, it won’t feel like settling…  And the only person left to judge you will be the twenty four year old girl with a target on your back.

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